


A Working Title

by skinsharpenedteeth (Skinsharpenedteeth)



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Bisexual Michael Guerin, Blow Jobs, Canon Disabled Character, Cock Warming, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Homophobic Language, I'm Bad At Tagging, Internalized Homophobia, Jesse Manes is His Own Warning, Light BDSM, M/M, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Possessive Behavior, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shower Sex, Slow Burn, Smut, sex gift baskets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:40:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 82,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26651557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skinsharpenedteeth/pseuds/skinsharpenedteeth
Summary: Alex was just trying to get a job outside of Roswell. He'd served his tours, gotten his leg blown off, and was ready to rest for a while in the "big city" while he got used to civilian life again. But the universe is funny like that and Michael Guerin is nothing if not her play thing. For the first time, Alex feels himself falling desperately for a this near stranger faster than he thought possible. But the more he finds out about him, the more he wonders if he just traded one war for another.Updated the summary and I may update it again. I'm trying, I really am. Read the tags.  Updates every 2 weeks unless otherwise noted.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes, Michael Guerin/Original Female Character(s), Michael Guerin/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 97
Kudos: 151





	1. New Adventures

**Author's Note:**

> This is definitely a work in progress fic. I will add tags as they come up or as someone else points them out to me. I'm not trying to be willfully obtuse about what I write but I'm human and I'm chronically sleep deprived. As of right now, I don't have a beta so all mistakes are my own. OH! And the explicit rating won't be earned for a couple chapters.
> 
> This story is from Alex's POV so while there will be talk about Michael having sex with other characters, there's only one scene that will even mildly show it (and it's super mild). And it'll have a happy ending. Promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was beta'd by the wonderful Pippa! Go see her stuff at [ StrangeRedLantern ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strangeredlantern)!

Alex felt oddly foreign as he sat in the back of a coffee shop in Albuquerque. It was his first foray into the “big city” since coming from Iraq and taking his honorable discharge from the military. The café was painted in muted greys and purples and they had those short pendant lights around the room to give it a candlelight atmosphere. The warm smells of coffee, cinnamon, and bread effused the air and enveloped Alex like a ‘Welcome Home’ hug from the rest of the world. His own home growing up might’ve smelled like gun oil, chili, and bleach. His favorite place smelled like milkshakes, enchiladas, and fry grease. Smell was an odd thing with the way it attached itself to so many half-formed memories and emotions. The smells of the café were some that always let him feel like he was home and away because every café in every country shared the same smells.

The conversations around him weren’t intentionally quiet, but the noise felt muted and barely covered the eclectic jazz coming from the shop’s speakers. He’d come in to kill some time and rest his leg after wandering around the area near this hotel. The place had been only half full when he’d staked out his armchair in the far back corner, but now as work let out and people waited for the bustle of city traffic to die down before finding dinner, it was almost crowded. He didn’t have anywhere to be for another hour or two, but he knew he would need to get moving soon if he was going to have time to get ready for the “boys night” his air force buddies had planned for him. He inwardly cringed at what terrible hetero clubbing experience they probably had queued up for the evening. He wasn’t closeted, but he wasn’t openly out to his group of military friends either. They weren’t close enough for Alex to trust them with that because as it was, he could trust them to take a bullet for him. After they knew, well… his father had told him often enough how the weak in nature were often sacrificed or killed outright to save the herd.

Giving himself a light shake, Alex pulled his spiraling thought away from his father and his opinions about Alex’s life. There were no happy endings in any of the stories there. Letting his eyes take one more turn around the room to watch the couples and groups chat and flirt over their coffee cups, he found himself struck dumb by a pair of hazel eyes watching him back. For a moment it felt like the world went silent, the absence of noise ringing in his ears as he felt something like recognition, but the feeling faded almost as quickly as it had come leaving Alex floundering. He realized he was still caught staring back at the man sitting ten feet from him at a high table. The frank appraisal held in those eyes jarred him, causing him to blush and snatch his gaze away. He tried for casual even as he scrambled to gather up his coffee cup and cane and he wondered why he felt so guilty at getting caught looking around the room. Possibly the fact that he’d been thinking of his father. Possibly just a knee jerk reaction to feeling any sort of satisfaction at being appraised by another male in what was blatantly not a heterosexual way. The cane slipped from his grip and clattered to the floor. Before he could heave himself out of the low armchair to get it, the stranger who’d caught his eyes sat down heavily across from him in one of the cafés many wing back chairs.

“Hey, don’t leave on my account,” his voice drawled, smooth and easy. Alex glanced up from where he was reaching down again and met the stranger’s eyes. They looked friendly and curious, shape slightly downturned at the corner which made him seem like he was hiding his own deep well of secret scars. His smile was more of a wry grin like they were sharing a joke together and his body language seemed inviting and open as he slouched back, legs splayed and hands folded over his stomach. Alex slowed his movements and gathered himself mentally before answering. There was something so magnetic about this person, he felt off kilter.

“I, uh, have to meet some people anyway. I really should be going,” he stammered out, trying to find a safe place for his eyes to land. Everything about him was so overtly male and Alex couldn’t help but want to let his eyes trail over every part of him. He seemed to know it to and casually displayed himself to his best advantage.

“Oh, come on, sit for a minute. I was the one watching you. You caught _me_ , not the other way around,” the stranger said with a laugh, using a sweep of his arms to motion that Alex should settle back in his seat. Sitting back a little stiffly, Alex looked over the stranger more carefully before answering, finally taking his time to indulge since he obviously wasn’t going to attack him for it. He was very handsome and that alone made Alex shift uncomfortably in his seat. He had the dark blonde curls out of a Renaissance painting that framed his face and softened his otherwise broad, sharp features. He wore dark denim that clung to his thighs like they were painted on and cowboy boots which looked well-worn and taken care of. His shirt was a plain black pearl-snap button down that was only snapped a little more than halfway, showing off the darker golden curls on his chest. A black cowboy hat had been flung onto the coffee table between them and it too seemed well-worn and loved. Alex found himself wanting to strip the stranger out of his clothes and run his hands over every inch of him the longer he looked. He suddenly felt like he knew what this man would taste like if he could get his mouth on him, could feel the burn of his stubble over his tongue. The visceral, vivid fantasy left Alex with a confused flush that rose to his face as he realized the object of that fantasy was waiting for him to speak. Alex grew up in a small town surrounded by ranches and never thought he could be attracted to the cowboy aesthetic, but apparently, he just hadn’t met the right cowboy.

“You were looking at me?” Alex asked, clearing his suddenly dry throat, mouth not quite catching up with his brain as he tried not to fixate on the stranger’s strong, square hands which were smoothing over his jaw, fingers dragging over the short hairs like he knew what had flashed through Alex’s mind.

“Have you seen a mirror? How could I not be?” the stranger replied flirtatiously. His smile seemed to be too bright to look at, like the sun, and his lips were so full and inviting. Alex caught himself staring at them before he forced his eyes back up to answer. 

Alex smiled back, amused and flattered, but beginning to feel like he was being tricked somehow. There was no way this guy was not out to get something more than just friendly conversation. Maybe he would try to steal Alex’s wallet or convince him to help him jump start his car. Alex indulged himself anyway, pushing aside his suspicion that just because someone was attractive and paying attention to him, it meant they were a grifter of some sort. He decided he’d turn his suspicion into curiosity. He was in a city where almost no one knew him and he could be any version of himself he chose. He wanted to know more about this man up to and including how he looked on his back. So he decided he’d indulge and be bold. Even be the braver, slightly slutty version of himself that hadn’t see much play time in the past ten years to try and seize the opportunity.

“So, what’s your name, stranger?” Alex asked, settling into flirting back and trying not to externally flinch at the lame line. 

“Michael. Guerin. What’s yours, gorgeous?” Michael asked, scooting forward in the chair and propping his elbows on his knees. Alex could practically see Michael’s belly button through the opening in his shirt and it made him feel like fanning himself. He felt the hot flush run through his body and he felt exposed, sure Michael could see his temperature increase. He decided to try a different tactic, settle himself in mundane conversation until he found his footing again.

“Alex Manes. So…uh… what do you do?” Alex asked, trying to cover his nerves by sipping his cold cup of coffee. He grimaced at it and set it back down quickly. Michael was watching him knowingly and Alex felt the off feeling amplify because of it. Alex was definitely rusty with his flirting game and was beginning to feel all the inadequacies of never dating and only hooking up with sure things off base.

“Oh, I’m in school and work at UNM. I also work odd jobs here and there. I used to fix cars and ranch, but I’m sure you’ve noticed there’s not much ranching here, I’m afraid. What about you?” Michael replied with a flourished hand wave at his cowboy attire. Michael’s eyes once again did a long, critical crawl up and down Alex’s body and Alex felt a flush at the hunger he saw in his behind his eyes. He was pleased to know that the clothing wasn’t all aesthetic and that Michael might’ve actually handled a bale of hay or a horse at some point in his life. It made him seem more honest and slowly, Alex began to relax back into he conversation.

“Not much right now. I just got out of the air force,” he started. Michael’s eyes darted over to his cane and Alex’s smile became brittle as he knocked his hand against his prosthetic. Michael nodded and his eyes came back up to Alex’s waiting for him to continue. He didn’t ask for the story and he didn’t seem freaked out, so Alex continued.

“I’m in town with some friends to catch a night life,” he explained, trying to sound casual even as he felt his throat tighten in anxiety at the thought of being in a dark room with flashing lights and loud noises. He really wasn’t looking forward to standing all night either and watching hetero dry humping. He watched as Michael listened and licked his lips after sipping his own coffee. Alex was momentarily distracted from his anxiety.as he wondered how Michael took his coffee. If they kissed would he taste like dark roast or caramel syrup? Did he drink coffee in the mornings or was this a rare treat?

“Oh yeah? Any clue where y’all are headed out to?” Michael asked, breaking into Alex’s increasingly more errant thoughts about breakfast and if he was a morning person or not. “I know a lot of the places in town since I work for the university. I might be able to tell you if you’re about to waste your money.”

“Uhm… I think the guys said we might hit up the Barcelona Club, Club Slick, and Gorgons?” Alex tried to remember the places. He’d google searched them exactly once and had not been particularly impressed by the flash blown shots of drunk college kids. If Michael’s expression said anything, it was that he was in agreement. Clearing his throat, Michael shifted in his seat and his face started to look a little uncomfortable before responding. Alex tensed, unsure what he’d said to change Michael’s demeanor like that.

“Maybe I’m reading the situation wrong but those are some mighty…” he paused, searching for the words. Alex realized the impression he was getting from the type of clubs he’d listed and he hurried to correct him.

“No, you’re not reading it wrong. I, uh, didn’t come out while in the military and they don’t really know that I’m… gay. So, tonight’s going to be kind of boring for me, but it’ll be good to hang out with some guys from my squad,” Alex finished lamely, feeling inexplicably foolish at having to explain why he’d go to ‘straight’ clubs. Michael looked at him like he was expecting more of an explanation, but Alex didn’t know what else to say. Feeling awkward, he sipped from his cold coffee again and found that everything was still gross and separated as it had been earlier. He just needed something to do with his hands. He wished he’d gotten a bottle of water instead. His eyes darted around the room as he started to plan an exit since he was obviously bombing this so badly.

“Okay. Well, do you mind if I give you my number? Maybe if you get bored enough, you can give me a call. I know a couple great places that are more queer friendly if you’re interested in dancing. Or some quieter placed we could maybe end the night with. Or, you know, we could just go somewhere and get some pie or something.” He ended the offer with a grin and wink that surprised a laugh out of Alex. Alex looked him over again and thought maybe he hadn’t bombed after all.

“Yeah, that would be great. Don’t have any plans for the evening?” Alex asked, getting out his phone, unlocking it, and handing it over to Michael without much thought. He was fishing for more information and he knew it. He couldn’t believe this gorgeous, charismatic man didn’t have dates for every hour of the night.

“Nothing firm. And I’d cancel them for a chance to spend some more time with you,” Michael said, shooting Alex a quick smile while typing his number into Alex’s phone and sending himself a text. Alex tried not to let the heat that rushed to his face show at Michael’s words. This guy was such an outrageous flirt and Alex kind of loved it? He usually hated when men or women came onto him so strongly, but this guy… he was becoming an exception to a lot of Alex’s rules.

Michael handed Alex’s phone back and Alex daringly let his fingers slide over Michael’s as he took it from him. His skin tingled where they touched and Alex spared a moment to laugh at himself for his Victorian Era flirting skills. Fingers touching?

“I texted myself, but you should definitely read it. Hope I hear from you soon,” Michael said, voice softened and smile genuine as he stood up and put his hat on. Alex pushed himself up and stood also, clearing his throat in preparation to being brave.

“Yeah, I’ll get with you later. If not tonight, I’m in town for a couple more days. Maybe we could find some time then?” Alex offered, cradling his phone in his hands to keep them busy. He felt giddy and nervous at his boldness and hoped Michael hadn’t been fooling with him. It had been a long time since he’d been charmed by anyone and there was an almost innocent energy between them, like making a study date with a crush in high school. Michael watched him for a moment before a slow, sweet expression came over his features. Stepping forward, he brought his hand up to grasp the side of Alex’s neck tenderly, staring straight into Alex’s eyes and freezing the small, fidgety movements of his hands. Michael’s eyes were soft as he stared into Alex’s and when he licked his lips, it looked like a promise.

“Yeah, we’ll find time,” Michael replied, voice low and quiet between them. He bent forward and pressed his lips to Alex’s quickly. Alex felt like he’d been struck with lightning and he distantly thought ‘ _His lips are just as soft as they look’._ One of Alex’s hands came up to grasp Michael’s against his neck while the other reached forward and tentatively touched the curls that rested near his cheek. When they parted, it felt like the kiss had lasted a lifetime even though it had only been a few seconds. “I think I’d stop the world to melt with you.”

Alex could only hold his gaze for a second longer before he started snickering. Michael tried to stay serious and hold it in a beat more before he joining in. The song played in the background of the café and Alex wondered when they’d switched the music. He felt so wrapped up in a bubble it was strange having the noise of the café around them come back into the picture.

“Too much?” Michael asked, stepping back but keeping his hands on Alex’s neck. 

“Just… enough. But still hilarious,” Alex replied, dropping his hand from Michael’s hair and taking another step back to break their contact. He’d loved the kiss, but this was all too public for him. He felt Michael’s hands catch his arms at the elbows before he could back away too far and Alex raised an eyebrow at him in question, not fighting the hold, but wondering what he wanted.

“So, I’ll still hear from you?” Michael asked, eyes searching Alex’s with a trace of anxiety even as his smile stayed in place. The small break in his confidence made Alex’s heart ache a little. He loved that he saw it, but never wanted to be the cause of it again.

“Yeah, you’ll hear from me, cowboy,” Alex replied steadily. Michaels’ smile widened and his eyes lost their tension. Alex felt his heart crack open and his breath catch again at how his smile seemed to steal all the light and sound from the room.

“Okay,” Michael breathed, letting his hands slide down Alex’s arms until he held his hands. Alex felt him give them a soft squeeze before relaxing and then he dropped his hold, backing another step away. Michael turned and started for the door and Alex slowly let out the breath he’d been holding. His body tingled in pleasure at having Michael touch him and having been kissed. He watched Michael’s black Stetson and wide shoulders work through the crowd while Alex listened to the blood rush through his body. At the door, Michael turned and grinned back at him, putting a finger up to tip his hat before leaving.

“I am so fucked,” Alex said aloud to no one in particular. Somehow, he felt like the universe smirked in reply.

* * *

The bass thrummed through Alex’s body as he watched “his boys” get progressively drunker and more handsy with the ladies they’d met. Alex had been sipping a vodka and lime for the last thirty minutes, letting all the ice melt and water down the already weak drink he’d paid way too much for. He was getting tired of standing, smiling, dancing, drinking and pretending to be _straight_. He was starting to compose love-texts to his hotel room mattress in his head. He just wanted to sit down and let the ringing in his ears subside, maybe lay in a hot bath and hope the ache in his hip would be calmed without medication. He had no idea how the other guys liked these sorts of places with their flashing lights and deafening music. Maybe if Alex were with Michael dancing and drinking he’d have liked it more, but he didn’t think so. He’d just have more to do with his hands.

Shooting a surreptitious glance out at the dance floor to make sure everyone’s attention was otherwise employed, he pulled his phone from his pocket and opened up the text message Michael had sent to himself back in the café. He’d looked at it the second Michael’s shadow had passed out of view and several times since. Every time he did, he felt a stupid grin stretch across his face and something in his stomach fluttered happily.

**> Hey Michael, it’s Michael from Alex’s phone. Remember to tell him how hot he looks when he’s trying not to blush. And how much you wanted to kiss him. Still want to kiss him. Even if you’ve already kissed him. Just make sure he knows that. And that you always text back. **

Alex felt the smile stretch across his face as he blushed again, happy he was in the dark of the club and his friends were busy so they wouldn’t see him. He checked the time at the top of the screen. 1:12 a.m. It was pretty late, but not for a Friday night. He wanted to get out of this place and go back to the hotel, but if Michael had a better offer, maybe he’d do that instead. Biting his lip, he typed out:

**> You up?  
<Michael the Hot Cowboy> For you? Always.  
<Michael the Hot Cowboy> How are you? Still out?  
>Yeah, we’re at some club called The Rowdy Beaver. I actually vomited a little when I read the name. How is this not a lesbian bar? Did they lose a bet to the heteros?  
<Michael the Hot Cowboy> LOL. I’ll ask my friend Rosa next time I see her. She bartends there sometimes. Says it’s a hot fucking mess.  
>It sure is special. : p  
<Michael the Hot Cowboy> Take a picture of yourself for me. I wanna see your face right now.  
> Picture Sent.  
>You could see it in person if you want? I’m kind of done with club culture for the night…  
<Michael the Hot Cowboy> Oh is this that kind of text? Booty calling me already? ;)  
>Ha! Or just inviting you out for a drink somewhere a little less… rowdy.  
<Michael the Hot Cowboy> I think I could be down for that. Where are you staying?  
>The Parq Hotel?  
<Michael the Hot Cowboy> Awesome, I’m not too far from there. They have a really good rooftop bar that’s open til 3. Mosey on over there and grab a spot for us? I can be there in about 30 minutes.  
> What’s your drink? I’ll get the first round.  
<Michael the Hot Cowboy> Well am I or aren’t I a cowboy? Whiskey, of course. Bourbon, preferably. Something I can sip on that will make the hair on my chest curl more and goes good with leather and sawgrass.  
>Right, so one Watermelon Margarita with pink sugar rim coming up. See you there, cowboy.  
<Michael the Hot Cowboy> Sounds perfect. See you there, darlin’.**

Alex closed his phone and slid it into his back pocket. Pushing his way through the crowd, he grabbed the first guy in the group he could find and made his excuses. If nothing else, losing a leg made it real easy to get out of social situations you didn’t want to participate in any longer, especially if the situation had you standing all night. Nodding to the others and exchanging high fives and first bumps, he made his way out of the club as quickly as he could. When he was standing on the street, he felt like he could smell everyone’s sweat, spilt beer, and pheromones on himself. He shrugged and hoped it was just a sensation more than a reality or that getting out of the closed environment would help all those scents dissipate before he met up with Michael. The cool desert air felt like a balm to his skin and once he got away from the thump-thump-thump of the club, he felt his shoulders start to ease down from around his ears as he relaxed a little. He smiled at the thought that maybe the night wouldn’t be a total waste if he got to end it seeing Michael again.

Luckily the hotel was only a ten-minute walk from the last club they’d visited. Halfway there he’d begun regretting being miserly and not getting a taxi to bring him back. It wasn’t a long walk, but his hip and knee were starting to make their complaints well heard. The alcohol in his system had dulled it for a while, but now he was really beginning to regret not going back to his hotel earlier. Gritting his teeth, he trudged on until he was up on the roof of his hotel at the bar Michael had mentioned. It was a nice little spot with a bar close to the main building and tall tables lining the outer walls, shorter four-tops in the middle. A couple guys had set up in one of the corners and were playing soft rock covers. The neon glow of blue, purple, and pink lit the bar and edge of the railing to provide ambient light along with the brighter, yellow from the hotel itself. Alex looked around at the small groups of people filling most of the tables and spotting a recently vacated two top next to the outer wall, he claimed the spot quickly and sat down with a sigh, glad to have some weight off his leg for the moment.

“What can I get you?” the waitress chirped beside him, appearing as if summoned. Alex jumped a little at her voice before relaxing back into his seat. He hadn’t even seen her approach, he must really be tired. He took a second to think as she cleared away the leftovers on the table from the last patrons and pocketed her tip. She looked at him expectantly after she’d wiped off the surface of the table with her rag.

“I’ve got someone else coming. I’d like a watermelon margarita for them, two shots of Casa Amigas, and a Paloma, please,” he finally recited after regrouping. He told her his room number and name so it would be billed to the hotel room. She nodded, offered him a polite smile, and swept away as fast as she’d appeared.

Closing his eyes, Alex rested his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands, enjoying the dulled conversation floating from the other tables and the crisp breeze that cooled the back of his damp neck. The city smelled like dust and cars and cooled sweat from the previous day. The same smells as Iraq minus the gun powder and burnt mineral smell of the bombed buildings. He opened his eyes and stared out over the rooftops and beyond, enjoying the twinkling of the stop lights and neon signs advertising bars and pawn shops. He was glad he was back home and no longer half a world away, even if he’d had to leave a piece of himself behind to get there.

“You look like you’re a million miles away,” a newly familiar voice said from next to him. He felt a warm hand slide across his shoulder and the brief warmth of someone standing beside him before it slipped away. Alex opened his eyes slowly and turned to see Michael sliding into the seat across from his. He looked, if possible, even better than he had that afternoon. Something about his lips and the slow, easy smile that made Alex’s insides feel like molten liquid. Alex sat back in his chair and returned Michael’s easy smile with his own.

“Just a couple thousand. I was thinking about Iraq,” Alex explained, turning his body slightly to give Michael his full attention. At the brief look of apology that flickered over Michael’s face, Alex waved his hand in dismissal. “Not the really bad stuff. Just comparing one desert to another. How was your evening?”

“Productive. Met up with some people and went out for a bit, but I was just getting ready to go home when you texted. I’m glad you texted, by the way, I’ve been thinking about you all night.”

Alex felt the blush start to creep up his cheeks again and was glad the waitress came with their drinks. Michael gave his margarita a long look as the waitress unloaded the other drinks. He pointed at it and raised his eyebrows in question before bursting out into laughter. It was a full, rich sound that seemed genuine in its surprised delight. Alex found himself grinning over his drink at him, glad he’d enjoyed the continuation of their joke.

“Well, I see you don’t disappoint. And shots? What are we shooting for?” Michael asked, mirth still evident on his face. He picked up his shot and sniffed it, flicking an appreciating glance down at the clear liquid before nodding at Alex.

“Let’s shoot for New Friends?” Alex proposed, feeling whimsical as he picked up his own shot glass and holding it aloft towards Michael’s.

“Or New Loves?” Michael countered, raising a daring eyebrow and smirking at him. Alex hummed in consideration, giving Michael a once over while he did so.

“New adventures?” he offered finally.

“New Adventures!” Michael agreed, clinking his shot glass with Alex’s before tipping his head back and downing the liquid. Alex appreciated the long line of his neck and the muscles of his throat before bringing his own shot to his lips, closing his eyes, and draining the tiny glass in one go. The tequila went down like water, barely burning and tasting clean and slightly sweet. He licked his lips unconsciously, enjoying the taste before he opened his eyes. Michael was staring at his mouth with a naked hunger that made Alex’s stomach clench in anticipation. They stared at each other for a heated moment before Michael broke the silence, evidently choosing to let the tension relax a little.

“So are you from Albuquerque originally?”

The normal, inane question caught Alex off guard and he had to reorganize his thoughts before responding. He’d been imagining Michael spread out on top of his mattress, shirt open and pants leaving nothing to the imagination. He shook his head both to the question and to clear his unruly thoughts.

“Uh, no. Actually, I grew up kind of all over the place. Air Force family, ya know? I probably spent the most time in Roswell, though. My father’s family was from the area and we spent every couple years getting re-stationed at the base there. That’s where I graduated high school. My best friend’s dad died a couple years ago and left me a cabin outside of town so when I was discharged and out of any other option that’s where I resettled. How about you?” Alex sipped his Paloma after he finished speaking, trying to wash away his sexual daydreams about the person in front of him.

“I spent a lot of time moving around also. I did my time in Roswell, Sante Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, Las Cruces… All over New Mexico. There’s probably not a trailer park in this state I don’t know by the smell of the meth lab. I got lucky though and got a full ride to UNM for my undergrad. I’m working on my masters now,” Michael finished. He took a sip of his margarita and winked over the rim as he licked away some of the sugar/chile coating. Alex felt his body tighten gently in arousal as he watched Michael’s tongue. He had to clear his suddenly dry throat before breaking the heated silence.

“So…uh, what are you studying?” he asked, fidgeting with the cocktail napkin under his drink.

“Mechanical engineering. It’s fun and challenging. Next year will be my final semester and my final project will be pairing up with a local company and coming up with some tech for them. I’m ready to be done with school, it’s been a long ride for me this go around,” Michael finished, sitting back to watch Alex’s finger run through the condensation on his glass.

“That’s awesome. I was a codebreaker for the Air Force, so I worked a lot with programming and cyber security,” Alex explained, glad Michael was studying something he might possibly be able to understand. If it had been philosophy or Russian literature… well, he’d have to go buy the Cliff Notes.

“So no nude photos on your phone then?” Michael asked, waggling his eyebrows and biting his lip. Alex scoffed and smiled at him.

“Actually, if you were going to send nudes to anyone, I’m probably your safest bet for them not to end up on the cloud and on a website somewhere,” Alex responded, sidestepping the question. He didn’t have any nudes on his phone, but where was the mystery in saying it?

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Michael replied. “Can you make my phone as secure as yours so you could reciprocate?”

“I could. Are you asking me to send you naked pictures?” Alex asked, smiling and feeling the tequila start to loosen him up. It was so easy to flirt with this guy. He was gorgeous, funny, and Alex felt open but not exposed by their banter. He wanted to reach out and hold his hand, but also suck his fingers and make him shudder with arousal.

“Not yet. I like to see everything in person before I see it through a tiny screen. It makes the fantasies better when you’ve actually touched…” he reached out and ran his fingers softly over the top of Alex’s hand that had been unconsciously tracing the rim of his drink, “and tasted…” Michael licked the rim of his margarita again and took a slow sip while keeping eye contact. Alex felt the blood pounding in his ears as he watched the tease in front of him. After swallowing and licking his lips free of any residual sugar, Michael finished, “…the body you’re viewing. I like keeping it a mystery until then.”

Once again, a flood of heat came over Alex’s body and he could barely breathe for want of the man in front of him. Those fantasies he’d had earlier reentered his mind except with much less clothing on either of them. He blushed when he caught Michael watching his reaction and bit his lip, slipping his gaze down to look at where Michael’s hand was still on his.

“You look so hot when you blush,” Michael said, his voice dropping an octave as he continued to run his fingers softly over the back of Alex’s knuckles. The soft touch almost tickled, but Alex felt like anything but laughing.

“You’re trying to kill me,” Alex replied hoarsely. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortably aware of how tight his jeans were beginning to feel.

“No, I’m trying to seduce you. How’s it working?” Michael asked, eyes raking up over what he could see of Alex’s body above the table and noting the shifting with a tiny jump in the corner of his smile.

“10 out of 10. How about we take the rest of this conversation to my room?” Alex asked, surprised at how bold he was being, but his body was ready to lay this man out to touch and taste for himself.

“Lead the way,” Michael replied, pushing back his chair and standing, his hand held out for Alex’s.

Alex led the way from the rooftop bar back to the elevators with Michael close behind him. His body was warm and loose from the drinks he’d had throughout the night, but he didn’t feel remotely buzzed. He ran his hand through his hair and covertly checked out Michael once they were alone in front of the elevator doors. He was still wearing the same clothes from when they’d met in the coffee shop, but while in the afternoon they’d looked casually sexy, but not out of the ordinary, at night they looked like something Alex wanted to peel him out of slowly. Michael cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at him, smile cocksure as he hooked his thumbs into the front belt loops of his jeans and subtly framed his assets for Alex’s roving eyes.

“If you keep undressing me with your eyes, I’m going to catch cold. See something you like, darlin’?” he asked, voice low and sultry to Alex’s ears. He’d stepped closer to Alex and Alex felt his hands itch to press him against so he could start kissing him.

“Oh, I see a lot that I like. I’m just trying to decide where to start,” Alex quipped. Michael barked a laugh in response, loud and genuine. The elevator doors opened and he sauntered past Alex slowly.

“Why don’t you start at the top and work your way down? We got time, sugar,” he drawled, pausing briefly as he passed, close enough Alex could feel the warmth of his breath on his cheek. Alex chewed on his lip and counted to five in his head, trying to keep himself from combusting all over the upper lobby. He didn’t need Michael to know that he was doing it for Alex in a way that no one had ever done it before and so far all he’d actually done is a little flirting and one spectacular kiss over 8 hours ago.

As soon as they were in the elevator Alex knew he wanted to end the night naked with Michael, fucked out and delirious. His hands were itching to touch him again and he couldn’t wait to taste his lips and chase the spice and sweetness of the sugar from his margarita glass. He looked out of the corner of his eye at where Michael stood beside him and smirked. Michael was staring at him openly from where he was leaning casually against the wall of the elevator car. He very deliberately licked his lips, giving Alex a long, slow once over that felt like he was also making plans on what to do once they were both undressed and grinding against one another. Before Alex could turn or throw himself at Michael though, the elevator slowed and opened to his floor. Alex started towards his room and noticed Michael wasn’t beside him.

“Coming?” Alex asked over his shoulder with more bravado than he felt he had any right to. He briefly worried that Michael had changed his mind and hoped it didn’t show too much in his expression. Michael was still leaning against the elevator wall, head turned and eyes on Alex.

“Just watching the show,” Michael said a beat later as he pushed himself off the wall and began to follow. Alex tried to walk normally after that, but he felt Michael’s eyes raking over him and it made him aware of the movement his hips made when he walked and how his shirt felt tight across his shoulders.

Alex arrived at his hotel door a few steps in front of Michael. Before he could put the room card in the reader, he felt Michael’s hand on his shoulder turning him. Michael’s body molded itself against Alex’s, hands slipping into the back pockets of Alex’s jeans and holding him. Alex let his eyes drift up slowly from where their hips were pressed together, up over the expanse of furred chest that Michael’s unbuttoned shirt showed, up over his artfully unshaven jaw and chin, and finally up to his hazel eyes that looked back at him with naked want and approval. Alex licked his lips in anticipation, ready to surge forward and drown in this golden god of a man. Slowly, Alex lifted his head off the door where it had been resting and pressed his lips to Michael’s, broadcasting his intentions with every inch that closed between them. The kiss was soft and chaste and made Alex’s ache for more. He kissed again, pulling at Michael’s bottom lip with his own, dying to feel the reciprocal pressure of Michael kissing him back. With a sigh, Michael tilted his head and followed Alex’s lead, exchanging dry, sweet kisses against the door of his hotel. Alex smoothed his hands up and down Michael’s chest slipping inside the opened area and wishing they were inside the room so that the obstructive shirt could already be on the floor. He nipped Michael’s bottom lip softly in frustration to that and felt an answering squeeze from Michael’s hands against his ass as their mouths opened and they deepened the kiss, licking into each other like they were trying to memorize the taste. They stayed like that, kissing unhurried but passionate for God knew how long. When Michael pulled away, Alex could tell his own lips were red and swollen by the way his heavy breathing was tingling over their surface as he tried to calm himself.

“I don’t want to sleep with you tonight,” Michael announced, resting his forehead against Alex’s as he too tried to catch his breath. Alex jerked back slightly in surprise and confusion. _What?!_ “I don’t want to sleep with you tonight because as cliché as this is about to sound, you are too fucking special for a one-night stand.”

“That does sound pretty cheesy,” Alex agreed, pulling his hands down and resting his fingers lightly inside the front pockets of Michael’s jeans. He could feel that Michael was half hard against him and he silently groaned at how badly he wanted to sink down and worship his body. Had he done something wrong? Misread the situation?

“You don’t know me yet and you might think this is a line, but Alex, I don’t usually _desire_ people. I work, I study, I have occasional hook ups, but I don’t actually _want_ someone for longer than it takes for us to get off. I don’t know what it is about you, because I know I don’t know you either, but I _want_ you so bad. I want to know you, I want to fuck you, I want to make plans with you, I want to have adventures together. I want to have you in my life for longer than one night. It’s just so rare for me to feel any sort of connection with someone else that I don’t want to waste it.”

Alex waited a beat, thinking about what he’d said. One part of him was swooning, dying at how romantic Michael’s speech was and how sweet he must be to feel that way about him. Another part, the part that had been told for quite a long time by his father and then reinforced by past lovers, felt that Michael was mistaken about what they shared. He wasn’t special and he wasn’t the type of person that people wanted to know longer than they had to. This was just a very, very sweet rejection intended to cause Alex the least amount of pain possible and Alex felt his heart drop that this was going to be it with Michael.

“Okay,” Alex started, feeling himself start to withdraw and begin warding against any show of disappointment. He took a deep, steadying breath to collect himself, meeting Michael’s eyes again briefly before retreating to stare at his chin. “So…?”

“So, can we go on another date? Tomorrow night? I want to see you again while you’re in town,” Michael asked in a rush, bending his head to try and catch Alex’s eye. His hands slid out of Alex’s pockets and smoothed up his back to hold him still. Alex hadn’t realized he was starting to physically shrink himself, his shoulders hunching inward to protect. Straightening, he looked into Michael’s face carefully. He tried to see if he could find any hints that Michael was playing with him. He didn’t think he saw anything, but he could be wrong. Did he want to take that chance? He too knew what it was like to live without desire for other people. He wasn’t a blushing virgin, even if he did have a tendency to blush. He’d had hook ups with other soldiers and random strangers while on leave. He’d spent weekends locked in hotel rooms in foreign countries covered in sweat and spunk and feeling vaguely satisfied. But he had always known those debaucheries were cheap stress relief. He didn’t emotionally attach himself to any of them. That was the part of Michael’s confession that he’d resonated with. It was so rare for him to feel any sort of emotional connection with another person outside of his childhood friends. He didn’t think he wanted to waste the opportunity to get to know Michael, even if it meant he’d have to wait a while longer to get to see him naked.

“Sure. Tomorrow. I’d…I’d like that,” Alex found himself stammering out. Michael’s responding smile made the fear he felt at this still possibly being a rejection begin to melt a little. He felt Michael’s hand slide around his body and cup his jaw carefully. Then, leaning in, Michael touched his lips to Alex’s. Alex expected another slow, sweet, shallow kiss to end the night. A goodbye kiss. What he got was slow, but that’s where his met expectations ended. Michael kissed him deep, his tongue carving out a space for itself in Alex’s body, and making promises that if Alex would play along for a little while, he’d make his body sing in reward. When Michael ended the kiss, Alex opened his eyes and felt dumbstruck. He noticed how blown Michael’s pupils were and he suspected his own were just as wide with the desire he felt now roiling through his body.

“I’ll text you,” Michael promised, still cupping Alex’s face even as he stepped back and ended the long connection of their bodies. Alex nodded mutely, body still thrumming with the want of everything that final kiss promised him. When Michael’s hands dropped away completely, Alex stayed glued to the door and watched as he swaggered back down the hall and got onto the elevator. It was several more minutes before Alex could convince himself that he needed to actually get out of the hallway and into his hotel room _. Fuck, that boy could kiss._ Alex let himself into the his room and flung himself face first onto his bed, hugging a pillow to his face so he let out a small scream of sexual frustration and excitement.

“I am so very, very fucked,” he groaned into the pillow under him. The universe’s smugness felt inappropriately apparent.


	2. Under the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael asks Alex out on a proper date. Alex turns to Kyle to style advice and gets more than he bargained for. Fluffy date night stuff with our boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was beta'd by the wonderful Pippa! Go see her stuff at [ StrangeRedLantern ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strangeredlantern)!

The next day, Alex woke up to find that he’d slept for ten hours straight. That was practically unheard of for him. Nightmares and the leftover hyper-vigilance he’d been trained into for so many years had a tendency to disrupt him at least a few times a night. The best Alex could usually manage was a hard fought five or six hours. Having achieved double that, he almost felt hung over and achy when he pulled himself off the bed and stumbled, squinting through the bright mid-afternoon sunlight, towards the bathroom.

Once he’d washed his teeth and face, taken a much needed piss, and stripped out of last night’s clothes, Alex went in search of his phone. There were texts from the guys ribbing him about leaving early and accusing him of sneaking off to get with a lady. Insert dramatic eye roll. There was a text from the electric company reminding him his bill was due in the next week. And there was one from Michael. Pleasure curled in his stomach like a cat who found the best sun spot, and he saved that message thread for last. He grabbed himself a bottle of water from his hotel mini-fridge and laid back on his pillows to read.

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> So you’re probably asleep by now but I needed you to know that every time I lick my lips I can taste you on them. It made me think of a verse by Pablo Neruda. “With kisses your mouth taught me/my lips came to know fire”** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> I’m looking forward to our date tonight. How does 8 sound?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> I’m going to bed. I brushed my teeth and now all I taste is mint. :(**

Alex smiled and quickly typed out a response, hitting send before he could overthink it. 

**> Good morning! Well, afternoon, really. Sorry, I slept in. Someone kept me out late last night and then refused to tuck me in. ;) **

The reply was almost instantaneous and Alex’s heart sped up as he read it. 

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> What a jerk. Want me to give him a talking to and straighten him out? That’s no way to leave a person.** **  
** **> If you would be so kind. Don’t go out of your way though.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Pretty sure I’ll run into him sometime today. I’ll let him know.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Is 8 OK for tonight? I’m excited to see you again.** **  
** **> 8’s fine. What should I wear?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> I’d love to tell you to wear nothing, but I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t get past your hotel door if you did that.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Just wear something casual. We’re going to be doing some walking around.**

Alex appreciated the head’s up. It meant he needed to pack some Advil just in case. Maybe they’d be going to a park? He felt stupid as he tried to decode something as simple as being told they would be walking. 

**> Sounds good. Can’t wait to see you.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> So much ditto.**

Alex grinned and threw his phone down onto the bed next to him. He mentally picked through the clothes in his duffle bag and realized the limited wardrobe he’d packed was not meant to impress anyone. Sweatpants, cargo shorts, Air Force tees, and plaid said he was ready to hang out with his bros, not entice someone into stripping him naked. Unless that him was a member of the fashion police… which made him think of Kyle. Kyle Valenti was the only person Alex could think of that might have a clue where to tell him to shop or how to choose an outfit guaranteed to wow. It helped that they’d rekindled their childhood friendship as adults and Kyle was over-the-moon to have Alex back in his life. Something happened between hig h school and med school that had changed Kyle for the better and Alex was happy to have him back in his life also. Picking up his phone he texted him to see if he’d be up for an adventure. 

**> Hey bro. Whatcha up to?** **  
** **< Kyle> Enjoying my first damn day off in like a fucking month. Do you even know how awesome beds are? They’re seriously underrated pieces of furniture. I may marry mine if it keeps acting right.** **  
** **> I really don’t think they are. Pretty sure Shakespeare’s sonnets have nothing to do with lovers and everything to do with his mattress and how nice a lie in can be.** **  
** **< Kyle> LoL. You may be right.** **  
** **< Kyle> So what’s up, man? You don’t text for small talk. Well, to be fair, you do, but only when I text you first. Ruse, by the way. I hate being the thirsty friend. **

Alex grimaced. He knew it was probably an innocent comment, but it made him feel guilty. He truly was terrible at communicating through text or internet. He just would rather talk face to face and held back until he got the opportunity.

**> Ow.** **  
** **> I hate to ask it now that I know you’re in a committed relationship with your bed for the day.** **  
** **< Kyle> Come on, man. Now you have me intrigued! Besides, I don’t want to get bed sores. And absence makes the heart grow fonder.** **  
** **> I, uh… have a date tonight. I packed a bunch of hang out clothes but nothing that might give the impression I’m available for sex on every horizontal surface. I’ve got some shirts that might be fine, but my pants options are… fairly fucking tragic.** **  
** **< Kyle> So do you want to borrow something or are we going shopping, amigo?** **  
** **> Shopping. I’m hoping things get messy later. ;)** **  
** **< Kyle> Gross. But also, I hope you’re right for your sake. You need to get fuckin’ laid.** **  
** **< Kyle> Where you staying at? I’m assuming you’re in town if you’re wanting me to go shopping with you cuz otherwise… like, no.** **  
** **> Can’t believe you wouldn’t drive all the way to Roswell just to go pants shopping with me at WalMart. Harsh, bro. Harsh.** **  
** **< Kyle>That’s the way it is. Big city life has spoiled me. ** **  
** **> I’m at the Parq. Just fuckin’ text me when you get here and I’ll meet you out front.** **  
** **< Kyle> I gotta get up and get dressed and shit. Give me like an hour.** **  
** **> Remember, this isn’t a theatre production. Hair, shave, cologne, out the door! No need for eyebrow shaping, nose hair pruning, black head treatments, ball steaming, or chest epilation. It’s me. While I recognize you’re attractive to some people in the world, I would rather stick my dick in a woodchipper.** **  
** **< Kyle> I do NOT primp that much! And you would be so lucky to get your dick in this! But also….ditto. ** **  
** **> The fuck you don’t. If you’re not here in an hour, you’re buying an entire outfit for me.** **  
** **< Kyle> Well I guess I better get off the fucking phone and get going if I’m going to have time to steam my balls before seeing you. :P Later, bro.  
** **********> Later.**

Alex showered and dressed in a pair of black cargo shorts and an Air Force tee. He looked at himself in the mirror and shook his head. He looked like he was about to mow the lawn. He was glad he’d called Kyle because what he’d packed, while comfortable for wandering around and eating fast food, was not going to show off any of his best assets. Hanging out with straight dudes didn’t exactly stretch his wardrobe creatively. Kyle might have been 90% straight (They’d kissed at a party once and while Kyle admitted it wasn’t bad, he’d said he’d have enjoyed it more if a girl were watching), but he was metrosexual as all get out. He definitely outstripped Alex on his personal upkeep and clothing. Alex gave his hotel room another once over before he grabbed his wallet and room key and left in search of coffee. Nothing was worse in the world than hotel room coffee.

Downstairs the hotel sported a coffee shop and gift store next to the area where they sold park tours for outdoor enthusiasts. Ducking in before the overzealous tour guide could corner him and badger him to buy a day trip to the Grand Canyon or some nonsense, Alex looked over the meager options for gifts the hotel offered. Socks, travel toothbrushes, cheap snow globes with the hotel inside, and sunglasses. He looked through the sunglasses until he settled on a pair of rounded aviators.

**< Kyle> I’m here. Where are you?** **  
** **> Gift shop. Be there in five. You out front?** **  
** **< Kyle> Duh.**

Alex paid for his sunglasses at the counter where he ordered himself a black drip coffee to go and hustled outside onto the front steps of the hotel. He scanned the area around for Kyle’s car and a black Jeep Wrangler honked from his left. He turned sharply to look at it and found half of Kyle’s body was sticking out of the drivers side window smiling at him.

“You scared the shit out of me! Don’t you know better than to make loud noises near war vets?” Alex teased as he slid into the passenger seat. The A/C blasted through the vents and he redirected them quickly. 

“Oh, shut up, Manes. You and I both know a car horn isn’t a trigger for you. So tell me about this guy you’re so hung up on impressing. I mean, I can see what you meant by your text that you have nothing to wear. Was Goodwill having a sale? Lost all your date night attire in the war?” Kyle demanded, sliding the jeep out into traffic smoothly. Alex flipped him off while he sipped his coffee, but he had to admit to himself that even Casual Kyle looked a step above Casual Alex. He wore skinny black jeans with a white t-shirt under a camel colored button down, the sleeves of which were rolled up to expose his tan, muscular forearms. A plain, but plainly expensive watch hung from his wrist and he had black leather vans on his feet. He looked cool and well put-together. Beside him, Alex definitely looked like he was wearing his laundry day attire. 

“What’s there to tell?” Alex dodged, putting on his new shades and hoping they made him look marginally cooler next to Kyle. He stared out at the passing traffic and felt when Kyle looked over at him and fixed him with his patented Kyle glare of exasperation.

“Well, to start with you don’t do dates. You barely have sex. You pine and perish and live a life of chastity. This dude has to be  _ something _ to you for you to venture away from your comfort zone of Pornhub and baby oil,” Kyle started, laughing as he took a hit to the shoulder for his impertinence. “I’m just saying, I love you, but you don’t really  _ like _ people generally and you definitely don’t  _ dress up _ for them, so he’s got to be something special.”

“You know, he said something similar,” Alex said, trying not to let Kyle’s rather accurate assessment of his love life bother him.

“Oh?” Kyle prompted, sounding interested as he navigated through the city.

“Yeah, he said… he said he  _ wants _ me. That he usually… he’s usually like me, I guess. Has sex with randoms for stress relief or whatever, but doesn’t actually ever want to know the person behind the actions. He said he wants that from me, wants to know me. It’s… fucking terrifying, but I’m also so into it, I can’t explain my reaction. He doesn’t set off any warning bells in my head besides me knowing that if this turns out to be a mistake… it’s going to really fuck with me for a while,” Alex finished, picking at the hem of his shorts. He waited for Kyle to respond, but Kyle stayed silent until he’d parked the car outside of some swanky men’s store with a pretentious name.

“So you think you like him that much already?” Kyle asked as he led him into the store. A wash of leather, musk, amber, and pepper came over Alex as he entered. The place smelled expensive for all the ‘casual’ options they displayed.

“Yeah. It’s weird to explain it, but it’s like my body knows and my head is just hoping it catches up to the logic,” Alex replied, fingering a black button down with black detailing around the sleeves and bottom hem. The store was cool and sleek with mannequins lining the upper walls in well put-together outfits ranging from very casual to extremely formal. The interior walls were all a dark grey with dark wood tables for displays and chrome accent pieces mixed amongst the folded clothes to make it seem like an aesthetic feature to a certain kind of lifestyle. Kyle led him around the store, picking up pants and shirts for him and loading down his arms. When they were halfway through and beginning to get into things too formal for any date he could see coming up in the next few days, Alex stopped him.

“Kyyyylle,” he whined, “I only have one leg and you’re making me carry fifty pounds of clothes. Let me go try some shit on!”

Kyle huffed out a sigh through his nose, looking over the pile in Alex’s arms critically.

“Fine. Let’s go to the dressing room. You can dump it on a bench outside and I’ll put together the outfits for you,” Kyle offered, gesturing to a sales clerk to get them to open a dressing room. The clerk took the pieces out of Alex’s hands and helpfully hung them on a metal rolling rack by one of the leather club chairs outside the dressing rooms so Kyle could better see his selections.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Alex asked no one in particular as he let himself get herded into a large dressing room with a leather bench and tall, backlit mirror. He quickly stripped off his shorts and t-shirt, throwing them into the far corner with his shoes. He stood and stared at himself in the enhanced atmosphere lighting. He wasn’t terrible underneath the grungy clothes. He’d been building his upper body strength since the bombing and his chest and arms were actually not bad to look at. He was still a little insecure about how his nipples always seemed slightly puffy and certain shirts seemed to accentuate that rather than hide it, but there were worse things he could have to worry about. He sat on the bench and slowly maneuvered the first pair of pants over his prosthetic and then onto the other leg. He stood and gave a small hop to pull them past his butt. If he had one thing over Kyle, it was the fact that Alex knew for a fact he had a great ass. 

Three pairs of jeans and ten shirts in, they settled on an outfit for the date. The jeans were dark blue slim fit with upturned cuffs, and Kyle had somehow found a cream colored linen shirt with thin blue and coral stripes running vertically on it. Paired with a rich red brown belt, a rope bracelet, and Alex’s sunglasses, even Alex had to admit he looked somewhere between fucking hot 1950’s beach bum and Cuban Daddy. 

“So basically, this is like an old school Miami aesthetic. I know you said Michael was a cowboy, but with your olive complexion and the red base in your hair color, you can really do a lot with neutrals and small bits of accent color. Also, you’ve got the shoulders to wear a loose, lightweight button down without looking like you’re fifteen going to your first dance. Instead of slouchy, you look expensive and casually rebellious,” Kyle explained, standing next to Alex in the big three-way mirror outside the private dressing rooms. Alex agreed that he looked hot but had absolutely no idea what Kyle had just said to him. Kyle’s phone beeped and he swept it out of his pocket to read a message, leaving Alex to continue admiring himself. 

“Damn, Kyle. I may have to let you dress me more often,” Alex commented, turning from left to right trying to see the outfit from every angle. His ass looked phenomenal in the jeans they’d chosen and he didn’t feel like he was suffocating in layers of fabric which was personally his only guide when shopping for clothes.

“It helps that you still work out. Don’t get fat, Manes. Your heart and your closet will thank you,” Kyle commented without looking up from where he was speed typing a message on his phone. “Now grab the same pair of jeans in a lighter wash and in black. We’re going to get the olive, dark blue, and white shirts. Make sure you bring the accessories out with you. Nothing makes an outfit go from plain to stunning like accessories.Next we’re going for a mani-pedi and facial.”

“Uh… what?” Alex asked, slightly dumbfounded as the sale clerk gathered the items Kyle had named that Alex wasn’t currently wearing. Kyle had retreated to the club chair and slouched back into it with his phone still in front of him, fingers almost blurring as he typed. WIth Alex’s question, Kyle looked up in confusion.

“Did you not like the white? I know it’s simple, but it fits you well and you can literally wear it with anything.”

“No, no. The mani-pedi facial thing. Are you serious or being a dick?” Alex asked, not sure which he’d prefer.

“Serious. You don’t have to get your nails painted or anything, but it’s my first day off in a long time and you interrupted my self-care day to take care of your closet-crisis. Now I’m returning to my regularly scheduled programming and you’re coming with. I promise that none of it will hurt and you’ll probably thank me after your date. Friends don’t let friends get naked with near strangers when their pores are the size of saucers,” Kyle replied, dismissing Alex with a wave and pointed finger towards the dressing room. Alex sighed and went to get back into his own clothes.

“You know, I don’t know why I ever wanted a sister when I had you,” Alex called while slowly pulling off the jeans he’d tried on.. 

“I don’t know either.My sister was a wonderful girl, but had the worst taste known to man. You’re lucky to have me. Now toss the clothes over the top of the door so I can take them to the front.” Kyle said and Alex could see his feet in front of the closed dressing room door. 

Alex did as he was asked before shrugging on his own clothes and looking himself over in the mirror. Nothing like new clothes to make you feel even dingier than you did before. Smiling ruefully, Alex took out his phone and took a quick selfie in the dressing room mirror to commemorate the moment. He sent it to Michael before texting.

**> This is the face of a man who just got style-steamrolled by his best friend. Pretty sure this is the last time you’ll see me looking this grungy in public.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Does that mean the next few pictures will be a striptease?** **  
** **> Haha, no. I’m done trying on clothes. Now I’m going to the salon to get my body waxed and my anus bleached.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> LMAO. How expensive are the clothes if you’re turning to porn to pay for them?** **  
** **> Sex work is still work, my friend. And while I really am getting a facial, it’s not in the sphere of porn. My best friend in town is taking me for a spa day. I happened to catch him on his one day off a month and he’s now towing me along to all his appointments.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> He sounds high maintenance.** **  
** **> He is. But he’s done the hard, emotional growth so he gets a pass on being a bit superficial about his personal appearance.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Well, then he gets a pass for sure. Emotional growth is definitely the hardest type.** **  
** **> What are you up to today?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Hanging out in the lab working on a project proposal for my thesis. There’s a company in town that I’m hoping will bank roll my idea and possibly hire me on once I’m through with my masters.** ****  
**> OOoooo, should I expect you to become my sugar daddy?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Maybe someday. Just Daddy will be fine for now.**

Banging on the door jolted Alex out of his sexually explicit daydream spiral at the idea of calling Michael “Daddy” in bed. Flushing, he jammed his phone into his back pocket and tried to calm his racing heart. He didn’t consider himself particularly kinky and he couldn’t explain why that idea made his stomach knot and his brain go blank, but it did. Alex made a mental note to explore that idea at another time when he had privacy and an incognito browser page.

“Did you die? Let’s bounce, bro!” Kyle called through the door. Alex opened it hastily and stepped out. Kyle looked him over with an amused smile.

“Sorry, I got caught up texting Michael,” Alex said breathlessly. 

“Just asking what he’d like to eat later?” Kyle asked, giving Alex a suggestive smirk. Alex felt his jaw drop open and his face heat up in embarrassment. 

“KYLE!” he said, trying not to laugh even while he eyed the clerk to see if he’d heard Kyle’s remark. “Let me go pay for this stuff so we can get out of here.”

He started towards the cash register at the back of the store when Kyle stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“No need,” Kyle said simply. Alex looked at him stupidly for a moment before he saw the bags sitting by the guest chair and looked at Kyle in horror.

“You didn’t?!” Alex cried, shocked at his friend’s gall. 

“Dude, it’s no big deal. I make that good money now. And I’ve missed a billion birthdays and Christmases while you were overseas and I was in med school. Just remember this when I need someone to have an emotional breakdown to,” Kyle replied, as he turned and grabbed the sacks from the floor. He started towards the front before Alex could collect himself. 

“I have to pay you back!” Alex called, walking quickly after his retreating form. He smiled tightly and waved at the clerk who was watching them curiously from behind the counter. They exited the store into the bright light of early afternoon.

“No you don’t, Alex. End of story. I’m being nice to you, it totally happens. I don’t really expect anything in return. Sometimes people just do nice things, remember?” Kyle replied, tossing the bags into the back of the Jeep as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Yeah… right,” Alex agreed reluctantly, glancing over at the bags after he climbed into the jeep. 

“Ugh, let’s grab dinner and drinks tomorrow night? You pay. Will that make you feel better?” Kyle asked exasperatedly, starting up the engine.

“Yeah, yeah. That would be great,” Alex replied. He felt a knot loosen in his stomach that he hadn’t been aware was there. He hated owing anyone anything. Alex didn’t know what to do with that type of kindness. He’d owed his father his life every day until he was 18 and Jesse Manes made sure Alex knew what a kindness it was that he’d allowed him to keep it.

“Great. Now it’s time to get pretty,” Kyle said, sliding on his sunglasses and looking far too macho for a man about to have his nails buffed by professionals. Alex just shook his head and slid his sunglasses back on, leaning his head back on the head rest as he promised himself, if only for this weekend, he was going to try to enjoy the ride.

“So? Do you feel like a new man?” Michael’s teasing voice came over the phone as Alex shoved his wallet into his back pocket and took one last sweeping look around his hotel room.

“I feel like a nicer version of the same old me. Name brand Alex, instead of generic store label,” he answered, slipping his wallet into his back pocket while heading to the front of his hotel room. He opened the door and stopped abruptly, letting the phone drop in his hand. Michael stood leaning against the door, his own phone next to his ear, grinning at him. Alex felt his body flood with want for him and before he could stop himself, he was reaching out and pulling Michael into the hotel room by the front of his shirt. He pressed him against the back of the hotel door and kissed him hungrily. Michael returned the kiss eagerly and rested his hands on Alex’s shoulders. Alex leaned into him, his body arching to press them chest to knee. He wanted to be as close as possible. His hands roamed Michael’s hips and back, sliding down to palm his ass through his jeans. He felt Michael’s hands on his wrists then, stilling his exploration and pulling them slightly away from his body. Alex pulled back from their kissing and stared at Michael with a pout on his face.

Michael, for his part, looked rumpled and confident leaning against the back of the door. He viewed Alex through lust-blown, hooded eyes and Alex wasn’t sure they’d be leaving the room anytime soon. But why had Michael stopped him? His grip loosened and Michael turned his hands to intertwine their fingers together.

“Is this okay?” Michael asked, biting his lip. He looked like he wanted to get back to kissing, but Alex was confused. His confusion must’ve shown plainly, because Michael lifted one of their joined hands and kissed it. “This. Is this okay?”

“Y-yeah? Yeah. It’s fine. But why did you stop me from--?” he started but stopped when Michael started chuckling low in his chest.

“We got a date to go on, darlin’. And I don’t want to waste all the effort you’ve put into looking like you do,” Michael looked Alex up and down with obvious appreciation, “and not get out of the hotel room. We got time, I promise. I won’t forget to tuck you in tonight.”

Alex felt another hot rush of lust at the words which Michael must’ve sensed because he leaned in and gave Alex another one of his slow, deep kisses that set Alex’s insides on fire and made his muscles want to melt. A whimper escaped him and Michael backed off, easy smile in place as he dropped one of Alex’s hands and turned to lead them out of the hotel room.

Alex had almost caught his breath by the time they made it onto the elevator, but every time he looked over at Michael he lost it again. He looked just as good as he had last night. Tight jeans, Texas-sized belt buckle, fitted white t-shirt, and black Stetson all filled out with tan skin, dark blonde hair, and hazel eyes. Alex had plenty of time to fantasize about all the ways he’d like to convince Michael that maybe they should stay in the hotel and play “Just the Tip” all night. He was just running through Sexy Scenario 2092 when they stepped out into the cool desert night air. The sun was just a pink highlight behind the mountains and washed everything in that attractive blue glow of almost-night.

“I parked over by the curb,” Michael spoke up, looking a little shyly at Alex for the first time. Alex smiled and followed his gaze to the light blue colored classic Chevy truck. It was obviously well used and well loved by Michael and definitely fit the cowboy aesthetic. Alex grinned.

“I love a good bench seat, you know. It reminds me of some of the few good times I had in high school,” Alex quipped, bumping his shoulder against Michael’s to ease his worry.

“Oh? You’ll have to tell me about some of those memories some time. I’ve actually had this baby since high school so maybe we can compare notes?” he teased with a knowing grin. Alex blushed a little and Michael continued while leading them down the steps of the hotel, “I worked in a junkyard for a while, and the mechanic helped me dig this baby out of the trash and restore her to working order. She might guzzle gas, but she’s a tank. I keep thinking I should trade her in and get something more eco-friendly, but I just can’t make myself do it. We’ve got too much history, know what I mean?”

Michael was holding the passenger door open for him and Alex slid onto the worn leather bench.

“I understand. I don’t have a ton of happy memories but the things that can remind me of them are usually the ones that I wouldn’t give up or sell. My dad would call me a sentimental pack rat,” Alex replied, mentally adding ‘ _ and that’s probably the nicest thing he’d say’ _ . Michael watched him smile a little sad and with too much understanding for Alex to feel comfortable. Alex cleared his throat and waited while Michael closed his door and ran around to climb into the driver’s side.

“So where are we going?” he asked, forcing his voice back to enthusiastic neutral.

“It’s a surprise,” Michael said, grinning mischievously at him.

“Oh no, that’s not a look I know if I can trust yet!” Alex laughed.

“You’ll see,” was all Michael said as he pulled into traffic. He reached over and cupped his hand over Alex’s knee affectionately. Alex felt a jolt go through him. He knew he was touch starved and every time Michael showed him casual physical affection it ran through him like electricity. He wanted to pull away and push into it with equal measures of need. Alex hoped he hadn’t felt the jerk that went through him at the surprise, but the concerned glance Michael shot him let Alex know he hadn’t missed it.

“Sorry,” Alex started, expecting Michael to withdraw his hand immediately. When he didn’t, Alex looked over in surprise.

“Is this okay?” Michael asked, glancing at his hand on Alex’s knee.

“Yeah it’s fine,” Alex breathed, glad to still have the solid weight present. Daring himself, Alex slid his hand on top of Michael’s and curled his fingers around the top. It felt better like that. Michael smiled and rubbed his thumb over the outside of Alex’s knee, but didn’t comment further. Alex wanted to explain himself, but didn’t know how to start that conversation and was secretly glad Michael hadn’t pushed to ask why he’d jumped at the simple affectionate gesture.

They pulled into a parking garage and Alex had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed where they were until he saw the large walls covered in murals of the underground parking structure.

“The aquarium?!” he exclaimed, bringing his hands to cover his smiling, slack jawed mouth.

“Yep. Ever been?” Michael asked, parking smoothly near one of the elevators.

“Not since I was a kid. Not to this one anyway. I  _ love _ aquariums! Holy shit, I’m so excited right now, I’m sorry,” Alex was practically bouncing with excitement as he hopped out of the car and waited with Michael by the elevator. He felt Michael’s arms wrap around his middle from behind and the ghost of a kiss on the side of his neck.

“I’m glad I picked right. You didn’t seem like you were into the club scene last night, so I figured I’d take a different approach,” he said softly against Alex’s skin. Alex flushed with pleasure that Michael had picked up on the way he felt about clubs. 

“You did pick right,” Alex agreed, twisting his body and wrapping his arms around Michael’s neck. He leaned forward and kissed him, his toes curling at how good and sweet the pressure of Michael’s lips against his made him feel. Michael deepened their kiss and Alex reveled in the feeling of his hands smoothing up and down his back and the slick caress of his tongue. Too soon, the sound of the elevator arriving broke them apart.

“Come on, let’s go see sharks and shit,” Alex quipped, extricating himself from Michael’s embrace and grabbing his hand to drag him into the elevator. Michael laughed and followed, knitting their fingers and kissing the back of Alex’s hand. Michael was looking at him softly again with a small smile on his lips that Alex was quickly becoming obsessed with.

“What’s your favorite thing at the aquarium?” Alex asked in lieu of backing Michael into the elevator wall and kissing him senseless.

“I like the octopi. They’re super smart and great at camouflage. And they always look like they’re floating or dancing or something. What about you?”

“I like the seals. Or the alligators.”

“That sounds like you like the things that eat the fish more than the fish themselves,” Alex accused playfully. Michael shrugged unapologetically. 

“Fishes are cool and all. I like things with personality, I guess,” Michael said, knocking their elbows together playfully and giving him a pointed look. Alex caught Michael’s eyes and stared. He knew he probably had a dumb look on his face because he could feel the dreamy grin curving his lips, but he was well and truly smitten and the way that look made Michael light up was worth the embarrassment.

When the doors opened up to the lobby, they took a quick picture at the photo booth and then headed to buy their tickets.

“Hey Marco,” Michael greeted the attendant selling tickets. He was a dark skinned guy in his early twenties who looked at Michael with suppressed mirth.

“Mr. Guerin! So Rosa wasn’t kidding when she texted saying you had a hot date tonight,” Marco teased, picking up a couple wrist bands from under the counter and attaching them onto Alex and Michael.

“No, she wasn’t kidding. Are we alright to hang out for a while?” Michael asked, looking past Marco towards the inside.

“Yeah, yeah. Robbie knows you’re here. The lights might get a little dim on you, but we don’t usually close down the galleries until ten. Should just be you guys in about twenty once we push everyone else out,” Marco explained, getting up from behind the desk and walking towards the door to the atrium.

“Sweet! Thanks, man. I owe you one,” Michael said, slapping hands with Marco in a complicated handshake. Marco gave Michael a thumbs up and opened the door into the inner lobby. Alex called ‘Thanks’ over his shoulder, but waited until they were standing in the middle of the inner lobby with Marco out of ear shot to start grilling Michael over the exchange.

“So what was that about?” he asked, trying to sound casual and taking in the different entrances to the galleries.

“Marco’s an undergrad in one of the classes I’m the backup professor for. I promised to give him a heads up about any pop quizzes the instructor might give for the rest of the semester. It’s a pretty good deal because the professor, Dr. Mallory, is notorious for giving hellish pop quizzes and using them to beat down people’s GPA. He’s kind of a dick,” Michael replied, waiting patiently for Alex to pick a direction.

“Sounds like it. And this Rosa? She’s been mentioned twice. She’s your friend who bartends at the Rowdy Beaver?” Alex asked, tugging Michael towards the jellyfish displays.

“Yeah. She’s also going to school at UNM, but she’s in the art department. Her and Marco shared some basics together.”

“Hmm,” Alex hummed, already entranced by the different kinds of jellyfish. Alex always thought they never looked like they should be real, as if nature nor man could come up with something so ethereal, but then again Michael was starting to strike him in the same way.

They wandered around the aquarium for a little over an hour, wandering through the various galleries and feeling enchanted by the dim, marbled blue lights from all the tanks. The last tank they arrived at housed the sharks and other saltwater fish. They stood in front of the tank, holding hands and feeling the meditative effects of lazily tracking certain fish as they made their endless rounds of the tank. A beep on Michael’s phone broke the trance and Alex found himself pulling his eyes away from the tiger shark he was watching to study Michael’s expression as he read the text he’d received.

“Marco says they’re clearing out in about 15 and we need to get going,” Michael informed Alex, not looking up from his phone. “I was hoping we’d have a little more time in here.”

Alex smiled at him, squeezing his hand gently and ducking down a little to catch his attention.

“We’ll come back another time. Maybe even pay to get in. It’s fine.”

Michael grinned up at him, accepting the gentle ribbing.

“Not as long as I know people we won’t,” Michael joked, bumping his shoulder against Alex’s before turning and leading them back towards the exit. They waved goodbye to Marco as they left and rode the elevator back down to Michael’s truck. Alex was starting to get a complex about being in elevators with this man. It gave him far too much time to imagine undressing him and running his tongue over every inch of him.

“So, uh… what’s next?” Alex asked, trying to distract his thoughts from where they were spiraling towards sexual wickedness as they exited the elevator.

“Have you eaten anything? I know we started this date a little late…” Michael trailed off, opening the passenger door for Alex and pausing for him to get in.

“I haven’t. Kyle and I had a late lunch so I wasn’t real hungry earlier. What do you have in mind?”

Alex paused before hopping into the truck, turning in the open doorway and leaning back against the outside edge of the bench seat. His leg felt pretty good after their lazy sojourn through the aquarium and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun. He pulled Michael against him by his belt loops with a mischievous smile. Michael grinned down at him and rested his hands on the small of Alex’s back, pressing them more tightly against each other.

“Well, we could do Thai,” he offered, dipping his head down and placing a soft kiss against Alex’s neck. Alex tilted his head, giving Michael better access. “Or Mexican…” Alex felt teeth softly graze the skin under his ear and he heard the faintest groan escape out of his mouth in response. His hips shifted against Michael’s, already seeking friction between them, as Michael continued, his voice low and sexy against his ear. “Or we could go back to my place and I could make you something. I’m sure I’ve got something that’ll fill you up.”

Alex would normally have laughed at such a cheesy line, but when he turned his head to snark at Michael, the kiss he received instead convinced him that he very, very much wanted whatever Michael was offering him. He could feel where Michael was starting to get hard against him and his mouth watered at the thought of how many ways Michael could fill him up. But is that what he wanted?

‘ _ Obviously _ ’, his groin supplied, rolling his hips forward in a dirty grind that made Michael grunt and bite his bottom lip.

“Maybe,” Alex gasped, pulling away from Michael’s mouth and leaning his head back to get some air. Given more access, Michael moved his lips down and kept kissing and nipping at Alex’s throat while Alex tried desperately to remember why he didn’t want to drop to his knees in the middle of a parking garage.

“Maybe,” he started again, gripping the front of Michael’s shirt to ground himself before continuing, “We should go out somewhere.”

Michael stopped, pulling back and looking at Alex with confusion and concern plain on his face. Alex leaned forward and kissed him lightly, a silent apology for startling him.

“I just mean… You said last night that you wanted to know me and not rush the physical part. Obviously,” Alex paused, slowly grinding his hips forward for emphasis, “Obviously, the physical part is going to happen. I’m having a lot of trouble right now remembering why we’re not already naked and sweaty…. But,as you said, it’ll keep. And I want to know you too. I’ve got a couple more days in town and we can spend every single one of them together if you want, because I am really, really into getting to know about you. And maybe this is fast, but I’m the same as you. I don’t desire  _ people _ as often as what they can do for me, but I desire you,” Alex finished, courage failing him as his eyes left Michael’s to drift down and settle on his shoulder.

He waited, ready for Michael to push him away and tell him to find his own ride home if he was going to tease him and then leave him hanging. He waited for the rejection to hit because he’d gotten his hopes up about finding a person he could actually connect with. He waited for the axe to fall, the rug to get pulled out from underneath him, for the garden of Eden to fill up with headstones.

“Alex, look up at me,” Michael finally replied quietly. Alex couldn’t tell if it was a command or a request, but he gathered himself and brought his eyes back up to Michael’s. “It’s okay to not have sex with me just because we’re both horny and worked up. It’s okay to pump the breaks and slow this down. I meant what I said last night.I want to get to know you. I just got caught up in the moment. How do pancakes sound?”

Alex watched him for a moment, trying to see if he could decipher a lie in his words or expression….but he didn’t see one. His mouth was kiss swollen, his face still flushed, and Alex had gripped wrinkles into his t-shirt…. But he looked sincere ….and Alex was not prepared for the giddy rush of relief and pleasure that flooded through him at Michael’s honest patience. 

“Pancakes?” he asked, smoothing over the wrinkles he’d left with his hands because he couldn’t think of anything else to do while he felt like throwing himself at the man in front of him and curling around him in a desperate hug.

“Yeah. There’s a pretty good Mom and Pop type diner that’s open all night and they serve breakfast 24 hours. I know it’s not fancy, but…” Michael trailed off, shrugging his shoulders and smiling shyly. Alex was a goner. He felt his own shy smile answering before he could temper it with something less soppy.

“Okay,” he agreed, smoothing his hands up and resting them behind Michael’s neck. “Pancakes sound really good.”

Michael moved forward then and wrapped his arms around Alex, his lips resting against his forehead. It was not quite a kiss, but it made Alex’s heart swell to feel him envelophim and touch him so sweetly. It lasted only a few seconds, but Alex felt calm when Michael stepped back and made his way to the driver’s side of the truck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments! Kudos! High Fives for the poor! *rattles tin can*
> 
> Love to talk to folks on[Tumblr. ](http://skinsharpenedteeth.tumblr.com) Esp about all things Roswell NM.


	3. Cock Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't lie... Kyle and Alex's relationship is based on my friendship with my best friend. I'm Kyle in our friendship, btw. I'm lucky to have her in my life and I'm lucky we have the kind of friendship that we do. 
> 
> That being said, there will definitely be more sexy slow burn this chapter, but also some more of my fave brotp. Hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> TW: homophobic language, Jesse Manes being the fuck that he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **UPDATE 10/29 >/a>: So this is a repost of Chapter 3. Apparently it didn't post on the RNM feed when I originally posted Chapter 3. So I deleted it and reposted it so that anyone looking for the update would be able to see it. (Convoluted, I know) Unforunately, anyone who did read chapter 3 and commented, it deleted your comments. *I* saw them however and I'm super, incredibly grateful you guys are enjoying the story! **
> 
> **This work was beta'd by my best friend (the Alex to my Kyle), Jes! You can find her work here on[ AO3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesibella) or go visit her on [Tumblr!](http://thep0rnfairy.tumblr.com)**
> 
> **Also by the amazing[ Pippa ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangeredlantern)**

The next morning, Alex groaned loudly into his pillow as he came abruptly into consciousness. He’d forgotten to close the curtains in his hotel room and the sun was glaring on him as if seeking vengeance. It took him a moment to remember that he wasn’t in some other desert, half a world away and that the pounding he heard was not the distant sound of bombs dropping, but of someone knocking on his door….loudly. Way too loudly for- Alex squinted at the clock on the bedside table- 8 a.m.

“Coming!” Alex called, voice a little hoarse from sleep. The knocking stopped and he groped around for his crutches before hopping over to the door. He left the security chain on as he opened it and peaked outside.

“Delivery for Mr. Alex Manes?” a short, Hispanic woman said from the hallway. Alex shifted his eyes down to look at the package she held in her hand. She was wearing the hotel’s uniform, but the _package_ was definitely not from the hotel gift shop.

“Yeah, okay…” he said gruffly, as he closed the door to unlatch the chain and then reopened it. The woman, ‘Martha’, thrust the object in question at him as if it was on fire. He looked down at it and realized why about the same time that she turned on her heel and all but fled down the hallway to the elevator.

“Uh… thank you!” he called, closing the door with his shoulder and backing into his room. He set the… _thing_ on the desk by the door and went to call room service for coffee. He had a feeling he was going to need to be more awake to deal… _that._

As he waited for his coffee and fruit bowl to arrive, Alex found his eyes continually traveling back to the desk. He tried watching TV, playing on his phone, and even going out onto the balcony attached to his room, but the thing on the desk was always at the back of his mind. Sighing, he hopped into the bathroom and started up a shower. It always took room service twice as long as he felt like it should have to deliver even the simplest orders, so he was probably safe to take a quick shower and wake himself up. He grabbed a clean pair of briefs and some sweatpants before closing the bathroom door firmly and starting up the water to warm.

He figured he knew who the gift was from, but he didn’t want to presume until he’d actually looked at the card. Scrubbing his hands over his face in frustration, he turned and sat on the edge of the tub so he could swing his legs into the shower and then move onto the shower stool they’d put in there for him. He washed himself slowly and thoroughly, trying to draw out the moment when he’d have to deal with the reality of his surprise gift. Halfway through washing his hair he heard the door to his hotel room open and an indistinct voice call out “Room Service!” followed by a squeak and giggles. Gritting his teeth, he stuck his head past the shower curtain and called out a thanks. He listened for the thud of the door shutting before he continued washing out the conditioner. If he was lucky, maybe the attendant stole the damn thing and he wouldn’t have to open it.

A ping from his phone was a welcome relief once he was out of the shower. He really wasn’t looking forward to handling his surprise gift. From the glimpses he’d gotten of it through the acetate, he was pretty sure it was going to cause him to blush.

**< Kyle> Did you get your gift?** **  
** **> I did. I haven’t really looked at it yet. What the fuck did you get me????** **  
** **< Kyle> Text me when you’ve looked at it! And also, tell me how your date went last night? Am I too late?** **  
** **> Too late for what?** **  
** **< Kyle> Go look at your fucking gift, Manes!** **  
** **> Ugh. Fine.**

Alex slipped on his clothes and prosthetic before re-entering the main living area of his room. He spotted the coffee and fruit set on the desk right next to his present… from Kyle, apparently. Sighing, he stepped closer to the desk and finally gave it a good once over.

“Where in the fuck did you find a penis shaped gift basket?!” Alex asked aloud as he took in the shape of his present. Groaning, he closed his eyes briefly and felt a headache coming on. Kyle never did anything halfway. He was thoroughly dreading what he would find once he undid the bow and let the acetate fall away to reveal the contents. With shaking hands, he reached out and pulled at the strings of the red and pink heart covered bow. He parted the thin, crinkly iridescent plastic and swore under his breath, face heating up from instantaneous embarrassment.

The box was filled to the brim with sex paraphernalia. Alex tried to suppress his horror as he slowly took out all the items. There were three different boxes of condoms, a bottle of lube with a pump handle, as well as a bag of pocket sized packets of lube, a reusable douche kit, a sex candle, a box of dental dams, a tub of something called Boy Butter, a packet of sanitary wipes called Crusty Cock Wipes, a REALLY NICE abalone cuff-style cock ring, 2 or 3 silicone cock rings, a silver butt plug with a touch-sensitive multi-color light-up flared base, some silk scarves, a couple lengths of soft hemp rope in black and red, a tube of Nu vitamin tablets, a black blindfold, and a bag of penis shaped THC gummies. By the end of the reveal, Alex’s face was so hot from embarrassment he wasn’t sure how the fire detector hadn’t signaled. And his coffee was stone cold.

**> First and foremost, What. The. Everloving. Fuck?!** **  
** **> Secondly, OMG. WTF!!!** **  
** **< Kyle>Text leaves something to be desired. I can’t tell if you’re excited, chagrined, or furious. I’m going to call you.**

Alex glanced over the hotel desk now absolutely covered in sex-related products and let his face fall into his hands, whining piteously. His phone started chirping that a video call was coming in from Kyle. He glared at his friend’s photo and pressed the ‘Accept’ button aggressively. Kyle's face popped up, smiling and excited.

“What the fuck, Kyle?!” Alex half-yelled, gesturing towards the pile laying across the desk. Kyle’s smile fell a little, but Alex could tell he was rallying to defend his gift.

“I thought you might need some stuff! You didn’t bring a lot with you for your trip and I know you weren’t getting a lot of hot dong while you were in the military. That gift basket is like… amazing and I’m kind of hurt you aren’t appreciating it properly. Plus, I think it catches me up on, like, every birthday and Christmas I’ve ever missed because some of that shit was pricey. I almost kept that cuff cock ring for myself.”

Alex looked at his friend incredulously. Kyle, for his part, looked completely unrepentant and seemed unimpressed by Alex’s reaction to his gift.

“I think maybe med school has desensitized you too much… or maybe we’re too good of friends. I have no clue which one it is, but you bought me a BUTT PLUG? That’s a pretty personal purchase to get from someone who is not ever going to be intimate with my actual ASSHOLE,” Alex may have screeched the last word. It felt like a screech. Kyle’s cackling told him it was a screech.

“I’m just being supportive. You don’t have to USE all that stuff. At least not in one night. I mean, that’s a lot of lube and condoms to go through. At our age, it’s a little ambitious to think you’d even finish off a full box…” Kyle trailed off and started laughing again. Alex’s face must’ve been doing something hilarious, but all he could feel was embarrassment and affection for his friend’s misguided attempts to make up for a couple of shitty years in high school where he’d been a jackass homophobe.

“Kyle… you could’ve just gone to a Pride parade with me someday. You didn’t have to… buy me weed gummies shaped like penises… or Boy Butter?” Alex glanced down at the object in question and then back at where he was holding his camera aloft in front of him. He picked up the tub with his free hand and examined it. It was designed to look like a tub of margarine and proudly proclaimed to be water-based. He turned to show the front to Kyle and raised an eyebrow in question.

“I have it on good authority that stuff is amazing for any sort of prolonged anal play. Good thick texture, doesn’t dry up quickly…”

“Kyle, no! No, Kyle! I just… You just… YOU BOUGHT ME A DOUCHING KIT!!” Alex cried piteously, thumping his head onto the desk and moaning in despair. His best friend was the worst.

“You’re being dramatic, Alex. Honestly, as the Smashing Pumpkins would say, Cleanliness is Godliness and God is empty… like your bowels will be if you use the kit,” Alex opened his mouth to protest, but Kyle cut him off quickly, “Also, everyone involved in the results will praise heaven when the time comes. Jeez, I mean, a guy tries to help a bro out in the twenty-first century and this is the kind of thanks he gets,” Kyle complained, starting to look a little hurt at Alex’s response to his gifts.

“Kyle…. I think we may be too comfortable with each other. I’m not saying that as a bad thing, but you know this is not a normal gift for like… anybody, right?” Alex asked, softening his tone and trying to inject some humor into it. “I mean, I’m appreciative and all… I definitely WON’T be telling you if and when I use any of this stuff… but like….”

Alex was at a loss. It _was_ a really nice gift and he was kind of being a dick about it. Sighing, he smiled and covered his eyes for a moment. Resting his chin on his upturned palm, he finally gave in.

“Thank you for the gift, Kyle. Let me know next time you get in a serious relationship so I can repay the favor. And never… and I mean, NEVER…. Buy me underwear,” Alex finished, trying to look serious though he was smiling. Kyle smiled back and laughed some more.

“I apparently didn’t do well enough picking your outfit for last night or you’d be begging to let me buy you underwear next. I take it the evening did not end up with any naked shenanigans?”

Alex smiled and thought back to the previous night.

_After breakfast-for-dinner, where he and Michael had played footsie under the table and talked about their interests and lives after high school, he and Michael had walked back to his hotel. It was only about a half mile away from the diner they’d been at and the night air, though cool, had felt good on his skin after the warm diner interior and hot food. When they had gotten back up to Alex’s hotel room, they’d stopped and eyed each other with a sweet kind of shyness._

_“You said you’d tuck me in tonight,” Alex flirted, playing with the key card in his hands and shuffling a little foot to foot._

_“Do you still want me to?” Michael had asked, looking at Alex seriously and not quite managing to keep the hope out of his voice._

_“Yeah. No sex, though. Can we just… make out for a while? Maybe talk a little more?” Alex asked, voice hesitant at the odd request. He was almost thirty, but he was acting like a virgin sixteen-year-old with their first boyfriend._

_“Sounds perfect,” Michael replied, wrapping an arm around Alex’s waist and plucking the key card from his hands. As he kissed him softly, Alex heard him slide the key card into the reader and push the door open. They parted and Alex led him in and back to the bed. He knew that was pushing their luck, but the idea of laying on the loveseat and trying to make out when both of them were almost six feet tall sounded miserable._

_“Do you mind if I take off my prosthetic?” Alex asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching Michael take in the room. Alex wasn’t particularly neat. Since he’d left the military, he’d liked leaving his clothes in piles against the walls or laying haphazardly out of his suitcase. The only clothes in any sort of order were the ones he’d bought with Kyle which were hanging in the wardrobe._

_“No, no. Get comfortable,” Michael replied, walking around to the window and pushing open the glass door to step out onto the balcony. Alex undid his jeans and pushed them down to his ankles. He reached down and found the pin that released the prosthetic and slowly pulled it off and out of the leg of his jeans before setting it against the wall next to the bed. Then he pulled off the socks he’d had over the liner and then peeled down the liner itself, setting each piece on the slightly ajar drawer of the bedside table. Looking down at his pooled jeans, he tried to decide if he was daring enough to just leave them off and make out with Michael in his boxer briefs. Deciding it would be too much temptation, he twisted and looked over his shoulder at Michael who was leaning against the balcony railing and watching the people and traffic on the street below._

_“Hey Michael,” Alex called. Michael turned and looked over his shoulder at him before straightening up and coming to the open door. “Can you grab me those striped pants under the TV?”_

_Michael scanned the area and then went to pick them up, noticing that the right leg was sheared off around the knee. He crumpled the pants in his hands and handed them over to Alex’s outstretched hand, and he noticed Michael looked a little embarrassed. He felt his defenses come up, wondering if the reality of hismissing leg was an issue now that Michael might have to touch it instead of just flirt with Alex and act like it didn’t matter._

_“Is this going to be a problem?” Alex asked, twisting his body so that his stump was on the bed where Michael could see it. Michael looked shocked for a moment, his eyes not leaving Alex’s face before he let his eyes fall to Alex’s leg. Alex waited, letting Michael look his fill and feeling his heart start to turn to lead. Instead of responding, Michael crawled onto the bed and sat perpendicular to Alex, his hand resting solidly on Alex’s naked thigh above his knee._

_“I don’t have a problem with it. I’m not disgusted by it, andI’m not afraid of it. I don’t think less of you as less whole because a physical part of you is missing. I was embarrassed because I didn’t think about how much easier it’d be for you to sleep without a bunch of extra fabric twisting up in the sheets. It’s not rational because it’s not like I’ve ever really had much cause to consider it, but I was embarrassed a little at my thoughtlessness. But this?” he said matter-of-factly, moving his hand down to gently grip where Alex’s leg ended and scar tissue took over, “Is not an issue for me at all.”_

_Alex didn’t notice the pajama pants slipping out of his hands. He didn’t even realize he’d moved to kiss Michael until he was pressing him down onto the mattress and half laying on top of him, hands tangled in those soft curls the way he’d fantasized about all evening. Oxygen restriction burned his lungs and made him finally pull back from the kiss._

_“Fuck, sorry,” Alex heaved, maneuvering to take some of his weight off Michael’s chest. Michael stilled him by tightening the arms that had wound around him as he caught his own breath and smirked._

_“Sorry for kissing me?” he asked, hands stroking up and down Alex’s side once he’d stopped pulling away._

_“Sorry for attacking you and then squashing you,” Alex laughed softly. His eyes fluttered shut when Michael’s hands slid deftly under his shirt, continuing to smooth up and down his sides. It felt so good to have his hands touching skin._

_“You’re not squashing me. I like how you feel on top of me. In fact…” Alex felt Michael’s hand clench against him and suddenly he was lifted and moved more firmly over Michael’s body. His legs opened and he rested his knees on either side of Michael’s thighs, arms coming to brace themselves on either side of his head. He tried to ignore how hot it felt to be manhandled by Michael. Michael’s hands resumed their previous activity, stroking Alex’s sides while he gathered himself. “I think having you on top of me is really fucking hot.”_

_Michael curled up and caught Alex’s lips in a chaste but heated kiss. Alex lowered himself so he could get a better angle and then opened his mouth to lick across the seam of Michael’s lips. The hands that had been stroking his sides rested on his hips as their kissing grew more intense. He could tell that Michael was trying to keep to making out, trying not to push their activity further than previously agreed, but Alex could feel the evidence that he was getting more than a little aroused by their activities. Even though they were ‘just kissing’, Alex was aware of how their bodies were writhing and responding to each other, and still hands did not mean still bodies. Alex made a split decision and sat up abruptly to pull his shirt off and throw it to the side. Michael’s eyes raked over him hotly and before Alex could lean back down to resume their kissing, he felt himself being turned and his back pressed against the mattress._

_“Oh!” Alex let out involuntarily as his thighs were draped over Michael’s as he too sat up and removed his shirt, flinging it over the side of the bed. Michael’s chest was softly defined and the dark curls across his chest and stomach made Alex’s hands itch to touch and run his fingers through. “God, you’re fucking hot.”_

_Michael grinned down at Alex cheekily, his hands running up and down the smooth expanse of tanned skin that was Alex’s chest._

_“You think I’m the hot one here? I need to introduce you to a mirror,” he replied, sinking his body down over Alex’s and capturing his mouth before he could respond. Alex let his hands wander as they continued kissing. His hands trailed over Michael’s back and waist, over his chest, and then he let his hands go down and grasp at Michael’s ass. The resultant grind almost made Alex’s vision white out. He heard Michael moan above him and couldn’t resist pushing up again against the hard ridge he felt from the other’s body._

_“We’re just supposed to make out. That’s not fair,” Michael breathed, even as he ground down in retaliation. Alex smiled and started kissing Michael’s throat and shoulders. His teeth found the shell of Michael’s ear and bit softly before he replied._

_“Is it sex if our pants are still on?”_

_He could barely hear the swear word Michael breathed out before he hitched Alex’s leg onto a hip and let their bodies take over for their minds._

_“Fuck, Michael,” Alex moaned, his hands finding Michael’s nipples and pinching even as he arched up against him. Alex felt the sharp jerk of his hips every time Alex’s fingernails scraped gently over the hard nubs and in a moment of inspiration, Alex leaned up and licked one experimentally._

_“Ahh, Ahhhh!”_

_Alex felt a new depth in his arousal at hearing Michael’s involuntary gasp of pleasure. He wrapped his lips around the nipple and sucked, one of his hands going to rub and pinch at the other while he was working._

_“Oh, shit, Alex. Fuck,” Michael was saying above him, hips stilled as he let Alex work on him. Alex switched to the opposite nipple and let his free hand drift down between their bodies. His hand stroked over the hard line of Michael’s cock in his jeans, his fingers tracing the edges before he squeezed the length gently._

_“You are such a bad influence,” Michael groaned, pushing his hips forward against Alex’s hand. Alex let go of the red, swollen bud in his mouth and looked up at Michael through his eyelashes._

_“We can stop?” Alex whispered, not sure whether he hoped the answer was yes or no. Michael sighed, closing his eyes and breathing deeply in through his nose._

_“Yeah, actually, we better. Fuck, I don’t want to though,” he looked down at Alex who had pulled his hand away and was looking up at Michael waiting for the final verdict._

_“Yes, yeah, Fuck. We better stop. I don’t want to walk back to the car with come gunking up my jeans and we agreed tonight would just be making out.” He lunged down and kissed Alex again, his mouth making it perfectly clear that his body did not agree with his head. Alex let him, loving the way his tongue was fucking in and out of his mouth and the heat Michael’s body brought as it weighed down on his. Too soon, he felt Michael pull away and roll off him. They laid still next to one another catching their breath while staring at the ceiling._

_“You are a better person than I am,” Alex commented, trying to ignore the dull throbbing of his cock. As soon as Michael left, he estimated it might take him half a dozen harsh tugs before he spilled all over himself. His body hummed with the need to come and to watch Michael falling apart with him._

_“I don’t know if you’d say that if you could see what I’m thinking right now,” Michael laughed. “I’m pretty sure Satan’s blushing at all the ways I want to take you right now.”_

_Alex groaned and covered his eyes, rolling and pressing his forehead against Michael’s shoulder._

_“ You can’t say something like that and expect me to not jump you again. Jesus, Michael…”_

_Alex felt Michael pull one of his hands away from his face and kiss the back of his knuckles sweetly. Turning his head, he opened his eyes to find Michael’s staring back at him._

_“You look thoroughly debauched. I better go,” he said, kissing Alex’s knuckles again softly before gently setting his teeth over one of them._

_“Tease,” Alex chuckled, turning and slapping at Michael’s chest with his free hand._

_“Is that okay? For a little while at least?” Michael asked, grabbing the flailing hand, and lacing their fingers together. Alex sighed, a smile still on his face as he looked over Michael’s own rumpled appearance._

_“Yeah, it’s fine,” Alex replied, letting Michael’s hand go and letting him get up from the bed._

“Uh, Alex? You look like you’re in dreamland over there. I guess naked shenanigans did happen?” Kyle’s voice broke through his memory. He was smiling and had been staring off into space, replaying the previous night in his head.

“No, no nakedness. But it was perfect. He’s… fucking perfect, Kyle,” Alex sighed, noting that he sounded like a lovestruck cliché.

“Perfect? Damn. High praise for an evening with a PG rating,” Kyle commented. Alex laughed, finally taking a sip of his cold coffee.

“PG-13. Maybe R because he swears like a sailor when he’s horny, but yeah. Pretty close to perfect.”

“Well, I’m glad I got you lube before the main event then. You’ll be safe, right? Like, you’ve done that before?” Kyle asked, suddenly all seriousness.

“Had anal sex?” Alex asked nonplussed, getting knocked out of the floaty euphoria he’d been in only a moment ago. Had he and Kyle never discussed this?

“Yeah. Have you actually like…gone all the way with a guy? I guess is the way to put it?”

Alex felt himself blush in secondhand embarrassment over Kyle’s floundering. Kyle and he talked about sex, but they didn’t usually give intimate details.

“I, uh… yeah. I mean, it’s been a long time, but yeah. I’ve had penetrative sex with someone before,” Alex mumbled in response. He didn’t want to think about it because it had been a disaster. They’d both been young and inexperienced which ended up meaning that everything had been too dry and more painful than necessary. Alex had had partners since and there had been fingers and mouths, but he hadn’t actually had anyone fuck him since the first time. He knew he was a little gun shy about it but blow jobs and hand jobs had treated him just fine in the intervening years.

“Well, just remember: Spit is not lube. And lube is your best friend. Use way more than you think you need. And that’s general advice. I don’t care whether you’re bottoming or topping or using toys or whatever. And if there’s blood, back off.”

Kyle was using his doctor voice. Alex wondered how many patients had gotten a similar speech from Dr. Valenti. It didn’t help that Kyle was objectively very good looking. Alex was pretty sure that speech would either cure them of any crush they’d ever had on Dr. Valenti or it’d make it ten times worse.

“No worries, Kyle. I’m gay enough to know all that. Not even the military is so straight they don’t know about Astroglide.”

Kyle laughed and shook his head.

“Yeah, yeah. Well, I gotta go man. I’ve got like three more hours before I run into the office to catch up on paperwork for a few hours and I’m going to use them catching up on some Z’s. We still on dinner and drinks tonight?”

“Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Text me later to let me know what time,” Alex replied. Kyle gave him a thumbs up and the screen went dark to let him know the call had ended.

Alex tossed his phone onto the desk and picked at the fruit bowl, trying to not think about the actual logistics of Michael putting his dick in Alex or vice versa. He didn’t know how to start that conversation. Looking back at the desk covered in sex stuff, Alex shook his head and laughed at himself. At least he’d be well prepared for just about any situation.

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Hey handsome, got any plans this evening?** **  
** **> Kyle wants to go out for dinner and drinks tonight.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Kyle, huh? Should I be jealous? ;)** **  
** **> LOL. Not of Kyle. He’s been my best friend for so long, I think we forget we’re not really related. It’s my way of paying him back for helping me look so hot for you the other night.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Oh, HE’S the one who made you look so good? I thought you did that all on your own. The clothes were nice though, I’ll give him that.**

“Jeez,” Alex groaned, feeling himself start to blush despite the lack of anyone to see. He was laying on his bed trying to decide what to do with himself until dinner time. He had an interview set up for the next day at a corporate security company. He was basically a shoo-in for the job. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to work there, but it was money. He wanted to use today to get a better feel for Albuquerque. He just didn’t know what exactly that meant.

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Well, since you’ve pledged your evening to someone else, what about lunch? You could come meet me up at the university and we’ll go get some enchiladas or something.** **  
** **> MMMmm. You had me at enchiladas.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> What’s your favorite kind?** **  
** **> Cheese and onion with chili con carne on top. Tho I wouldn’t kick chicken Christmas style out of bed for eating crackers.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy>LMAO. Been a while since I heard that turn of phrase.** **  
** **> Where on campus are you?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Okay sooooo…..** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> My “office” is on the third floor of the Engineering building. I have a class that let’s out around 1. Wanna just meet me outside the Engineering building?** **  
** **> Sure.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Actually, fuck it. I’ll come to you. I just realized what a pain in the ass it was going to be trying to figure out what direction you’d be coming from based on whether you drove, took a bus, parked, etc. I KNOW where you are so I’ll see you about 1:20. I don’t have to be back on campus anytime today. Sometime I’ll bring you up here myself and show you around so you can visit.** **  
** **> Wow. I think I just got a peak into what’s behind those beautiful eyes. You’re kind of neurotic, huh?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Scared?** **  
** **> Weirdly turned on, though I think we’re going to have to be dating a long time before I ever want to plan a vacation with you.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Just tell me where you want to go, I’ll get you there one way or another. ;)** **  
** **> Again, weirdly turning me on. Go do your job and then come get me.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Now I’M weirdly turned on.** **  
** **> LOL. Why?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Because I’m imagining all the ways I could ‘get you’ for lunch.** ****  
**> Jeeeesssuss, Michael. X.x**  
**********< Michael the Hot Cowboy> See you in a couple hours, darlin’.**

Alex grinned at the ceiling. Why was this guy making him feel so giddy and stupid? Alex usually had a wall around his heart. He didn’t do this. He didn’t get stupid over a pretty face and charming flirtations. In fact, the latter usually put him on edge and made him mistrust the person’s intentions, but this guy? Michael Guerin? He seemed to be dancing through all of Alex’s defenses.

His phone rang next to him and Alex picked it up.

**Caller ID: M.S. Jesse Manes**

Alex swiped his thumb to answer it, dreading whatever terrible thing caused his father to remember he existed.

“Hello,” Alex answered, voice already resigned.

“Hello, _Sir_ , don’t you mean, Captain?” his father replied. His voice made Alex’s jaw clench and he felt like an elephant was slowly sitting onto his chest and pressing him through the mattress.

“I’m not in the service anymore, dad,” Alex replied, feeling a headache starting behind his eyes from the impending argument.

“You still respect the rank, Captain!” his father barked, making Alex wince and pull the phone further from his ear.

“Maybe on someone else I would. Not you. Why are you calling, dad?”

“I heard you had a job interview tomorrow at Conway Security. Dante Hernandez works there and I was going to call and see if I could grease some palms for you, but your attitude has left something to be desired. Think you’re too good for this family and the connections I’ve made? Think you can make it on your own? You don’t deserve my help. You’re still a spoiled, ungrateful little faggot, aren’t you?” Jesse sneered.

“Yep. Sure am,” Alex agreed. “Better not waste any more time on me.”

"You know I can make sure you don’t get that job tomorrow? I can make sure you don’t get any fucking job outside of a fast-food restaurant,” Jesse’s voice was low and serious. Alex felt the knot of old fear clench in his belly, churning his stomach. He knew logically that he didn’t have that kind of power, but 18 years of having every twitch ridiculed or punished still made his father seem bigger than he was. But after being shot at, blown up, and dismembered, Alex didn’t really react to fear with meekness anymore.

“You’re not God, dad. You’re not all powerful. You can’t control everything or everyone. No matter how often you tried to beat that belief into me, I never bought it. So go ahead, call Conway. Want me to send you a list of all the places I’ve applied to so you can call them too? Better make sure you let all of them know about your sicko, dick-sucking Nancy boy son. Better explain to them how first you tried to beat the gay out of me and then you tried to get the military to kill me on foreign soil. Too bad you just got my damn leg blown off and a medal on my chest. If that isn’t proof of your fallibility then I don’t know what is. Don’t call me back, dad. I don’t give a fuck if you’re dying, don’t call me. Cut me out of the family pictures. I’m not your son anymore,” Alex finished, realizing he was yelling by the end of it.

“You can’t hide from me, Alex. Stealth isn’t your specialty. I’m going to find you and remind you why you use a respectful tone with me,” Jesse threatened. Alex was grinding his teeth, body feeling so tense he thought he’d explode.

“See you when you get here, then,” Alex replied, pressing the End key on his cell. He threw his phone across the bed in disgust and grabbed one of the pillows, holding it over his own face while he yelled all his frustration into it. His dad wasn’t all bluster, Alex knew that first hand, but he liked psychological torture the best. Those bruises didn’t fade as easily as a sock to the jaw. Alex closed his eyes and lowered the pillow to his chest, hugging it close as he started the deep breathing exercises his pain therapist had taught him. He needed to calm down and ground himself.


	4. A Helping Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael has lunch with Alex.
> 
> TW: panic attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> TW: panic attack

Once again, Alex woke up to knocking on his door. Luckily, it wasn’t a pounding knock, but that didn’t stop his heart from jumping into his throat. He had forgotten about his lunch date with Michael. After the phone call from his father, Alex gave in to a moderately awful panic attack. Mostly, tingling in his toes and fingers, some trouble swallowing, rabbit quick heart, and the absolute conviction he was about to die. It had lasted about an hour and at the end of it, he’d been wiped. So without thinking, he’d thrown the curtains closed and laid down on the bed to let his body recuperate. Apparently, that meant becoming dead to the world.

“Alex?” Michael’s voice called from behind the door. Alex sat up and rubbed his eyes, noting he still had a mild headache from earlier. 

“Coming,” Alex called, running his hands through his hair and yawning wide enough to pop his jaw. He felt like he could have slept for another two hours, but he was glad for the interruption. He could already tell it was going to be a late night for him. 

He stood up slowly, stretching and groaning at the ache that ran through his muscles. He walked stiffly over to the door and opened it for Michael, not bothering to turn on any extra lights. The blinds could only do so much in the face of a New Mexico mid-day sun and though the hotel room was dim, it was bright enough to see your way around. 

“Hey,” he greeted, forcing a small smile and stepping away from the door to let Michael come into his hotel room. He was trying to knock his body back to normal, but he could tell he was still on edge from earlier. His eyes scanned the hallway outside briefly before he shut the door, throwing on the security chain. He knew it was more for his piece of mind that to actually stop an intruder, but it calmed him marginally to do it. 

“Did I interrupt you napping?” Michael asked, eyes scanning over Alex’s rumpled clothes and disheveled hair. He was frowning, an adorable dimple between his eyebrows, and his hands stuck awkwardly in his pockets.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I had a headache and was trying to sleep it off. I forgot to set my alarm. Give me a minute and we’ll go for lunch?” Alex explained with forced casualness, not sure he was really ready to join the outside world yet. He looked Michael over, trying to gauge if a change of clothing was needed. Apparently, this was Professor Michael and it was hard to keep the drool off his chin. He was wearing a light grey button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show off his tan forearms. Instead of jeans, he was sporting navy slacks and a black belt. Headache or no, this aesthetic was doing something for Alex and it definitely tipped his equilibrium in a new direction. 

“Is there any way you don’t look hot?” Alex asked, his voice a little breathy as he noted all the things about this look that made his brain melt. 

“Is there any way you don’t?” Michael asked, chuckling and stepping into Alex’s space to kiss him. He rested his hands on Alex’s waist, leaning in and giving Alex a slow, open-mouthed kiss that coaxed him to relax into it. Alex accepted the kiss and let his hands smooth over the soft cotton of Michael’s shirt front. He kept his mouth shut, knowing he probably had horrible breath since napping, but he still enjoyed the feel of Michael’s mouth against his and the way their bodies seemed to sway towards one another. 

“You’re incorrigible. Let me go brush my teeth and see if I can’t straighten this up enough to go out in public,” Alex replied after the kiss, antsy to get moving. He really needed to take some aspirin if he was going to have to face the sunlight and he knew he must look a mess from sleeping in his clothes. He was trying to remember if he’d brought any aspirin with him or if he’d have to go down to the gift shop to grab some when Michael started talking to him. 

“You sure? We can stay in. You can tell me about the porn store on your desk,” Michael offered, bending in and kissing Alex’s neck. Alex felt his body go rigid as he looked over towards the desk, horrified that Michael had seen all the stuff from Kyle’s monstrosity of a gift basket. 

“Oh my god,” Alex shrieked in mortification, looking between Michael’s teasing grin and the desk. “OH MY GOD!”

Turning abruptly, Alex walked into the bathroom and shut the door while chanting “No, no, no, no, no….”

He sat down on the toilet lid and buried his face in his hands. He felt like crying and laughing and locked up in his embarrassment. He didn’t consider himself particularly prudish or anything, but this felt like the equivalent of showing Michael his sex toy drawer on the first day and knowing it held some very kinky, hard to explain items. 

“Uh…. Alex?” Michael’s concerned voice came through the bathroom door. “Can I come in?”

Alex felt his eyes starting to prickle and his breathing pick up. How was this not the worst day ever? He tried to ground himself, naming off things he could identify with his senses. He could see the bar of soap beside the sink, his toothbrush, the towel rack, the white porcelain of the tile, and his own bare feet. He could feel the coolness of the tile against the soles of his feet, the heat from his breath in his hands, the rough-smooth texture of his jeans, the dry texture of the toilet paper. He could hear—

“Alex?” Michael’s voice called again. When Alex didn’t reply, he continued, “Okay. I’m coming in. I’m not mad or concerned or disgusted or anything by the stuff on the desk. In fact, we can pretend I didn’t see any of it. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Alex curled down, forearms pressed to his thighs as he tried to calm himself down. He logically knew this wasn’t a big deal. He logically knew that it shouldn’t even be that embarrassing. But his conversation with his father had opened some old psychological wounds and all he could think was that Michael would expect more from him since he was obviously well prepared and flaunting his sexuality. He was obviously a deviant, another desperate faggot, an amoral cock hungry queer. The fact that he’d known what every single item in that basket was without question made him that. His father’s voice ringing in his head, reminding him that no one would want something so obviously twisted and broken as he. 

The door creaked and he heard Michael step through the door and close it behind him. He was quiet and Alex waited for his judgement to start. This felt like too many times before when his father had followed him into a private sanctuary and kept attacking him. His body tensed, curling more tightly to defend his soft parts, waiting for the attack to start. 

“I’m going to turn on the lights. Just warning you,” Michael said before the back of Alex’s eyelids went from black to orange. It was Michael in the room, not his father. It was Michael, who had never shown Alex anything but kindness and affection. It was Michael, the first person to not trigger warning bells after a few minutes of conversation and flirting. It was Michael, the guy he was starting to want to use as a shield against the world just as Alex would shield him if Michael needed it. 

He felt Michael sit on the floor in front of him, not quite touching him, but close enough for Alex to feel the heat of his body near his feet. Alex could hear his harsh, deep breaths and his head was starting to swim with the excess oxygen. 

“Alex? Can I touch you?” Michael asked quietly. Alex nodded without opening his eyes or changing position. He felt Michael’s warm hands on his ankle, just grasping it gently like he wanted Alex to know he was close, but not intruding. Slowly the hands smoothed up the back of his calves and settled in the crease behind his knees. Michael then leaned his head forward and rested his chin above Alex’s knee cap. 

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked quietly, thumbs rubbing gently on the outside of Alex’s knees. 

Alex felt his heart shred a little. He finally looked up and met Michael’s beautiful, sad, understanding eyes. He didn’t know how, but he knew that Michael had been through this or something very similar before. He’d been on both sides of it. And with this realization, Alex let himself collapse forward in slow motion, landing on Michael’s lap and curling himself around him like an octopus. He buried his head against his shoulder and took five slow, deep breaths. In for 4, Hold for 2, Out for 6, repeat. He felt Michael rubbing his back and humming soothingly. When he felt ready to speak, he did it to Michael’s neck, not ready to pull away from the comfort and security of Michael’s body. 

“I’m sorry. That was an over-reaction,” he said calmly, noting that he sounded a little mechanical. 

“Was it? Or was it just a reaction? Was it something I said or did?” Michael asked in a soft, lowered voice, his arms still holding tight Alex against him. The heat of his body radiated between them, making Alex realize how cold he felt. His muscles were shivering and Michael’s warmth felt like the best blanket on earth.

“No. No, it had nothing to do with you. I’m so sorry. I…” he paused, and suddenly felt exhausted again. “I’ve had a bad day since we talked earlier.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Michael asked quietly, no judgement in his voice. 

“Maybe in a little while,” Alex replied. 

“Okay.”

They stayed like that, holding each other on the bathroom floor for another few minutes until Alex’s stomach growled loudly. 

“So I actually felt that growl. How about we get up and you go lay down while I order us some Bite Squad. Then I’ll come lay down with you and if you want you can nap while we wait for our food. It always takes like, an hour, for a delivery,” Michael suggested, pulling back to try to catch Alex’s eyes. 

Alex sighed and nodded. He looked up at Michael and felt a little warmer than he had before. He slowly extricated himself from Michael’s arms and stood up stiffly, using the counter to help lever himself up. He walked slowly to the bed and sat down on the edge. He didn’t want to wear jeans anymore. He didn’t want to do anything. Michael followed him and sat beside him, already scanning through the app offers. 

“Still want enchiladas?” he asked, picking a restaurant. Alex nodded glumly, trying to find the energy to undress and shed his prosthetic. He might also want to text Kyle and let him know he was going to reschedule their dinner plans. When he felt like this, there was no point in him trying to act social.

“Okay. Cheese and onion okay?” Michael asked, looking over at Alex in question. 

“Yeah. And get some sopapillas if they have them. With cinnamon and honey,” Alex spoke up. Michael nodded and continued playing with the app. Alex fell back onto the mattress and stretched out his arms beside him. 

“Okay. Got it,” Michael replied, closing his phone and tossing it onto the dresser away from the bed. He laid on his side next to Alex, propping his head on his hand. “Want to get more comfortable?”

Alex nodded, but made no effort to move his body. 

“Alex, would it be okay if I took care of you for a while? No funny business. I’ll just help you get into some pajamas and we’ll curl up under the covers and waste the day away watching Netflix or something. Have you seen the Umbrella Academy?” Michael asked while he gently smoothed Alex’s bangs back from his forehead. 

“Yeah. I mean, no, I haven’t seen the Umbrella Academy. Yeah, it would be okay if you wanted to take care of me. I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck,” Alex admitted, hating how weak he felt right then. Michael hummed in response but kept running his fingers through Alex’s hair. If he didn’t stop, Alex was pretty sure he was going to start purring. 

“Okay. Do you mind if I borrow some pajama pants?” Michael asked, almost shyly. 

“Huh?” Alex started, feeling a little slow. “Oh! No, feel free. Your right leg might get cold though.”

Alex was glad when Michael chuckled at the joke. He turned his head and looked fully at Michael laying beside him. An almost overwhelming sense of gratitude started to make its way through his system. He wasn’t running away. Maybe Alex hadn’t scared him off by being weak and needy. He was going to stay and take care of him. For a while anyway. 

He watched as Michael sat up and walked over to the open suitcase on the dresser that faced the bed. He saw him grab out a clean pair of sweatpants and the pajama pants Alex had thrown in there from yesterday. Alex swallowed as he thought about how good those sweatpants would look on Michael. They were soft and thin on himself and he was careful not to wear them around other people because they hid absolutely nothing. Tossing the articles of clothing on the bed, Michael walked over to stand in front of where Alex was laying. 

“Do you, uh… do you want to be the one to undo your pants?” he asked, obviously a little nervous on how that action might be perceived since he’d promised no ‘funny business’. Alex smiled and unbuttoned his jeans, pulling down the fly slowly while throwing Michael a mischievous smile and wink. He felt like it was safe to flirt a little. 

“Fucking tease,” Michael chided, laughing and bending over to grip the sides of Alex’s jeans. Alex laughed a little and raised his hips so Michael could tug the jeans to his knees. There was a pause after that and Alex raised onto his elbows and looked at Michael in question. 

“Uh, how do I take off the prosthetic?” he asked, kneeling on the floor by Alex’s right leg. 

“Oh, uhm, a little above where my ankle would be, you’ll see a small black pin. Push it inwards and it releases a catch that keeps it attached to the umbrella on the liner. You’ll see what I’m talking about when it’s off,” Alex explained. He watched Michael search for the pin with his hands, eyes far away as he concentrated. Alex felt the click of the release and then pressure sliding away from his residual limb. Michael disentangled the prosthetic from the pants leg and leaned it against the wall by the bedside table. He pulled the jeans away and off, tossing them over by Alex’s growing pile of dirty laundry at the base of the dresser. Then he curled his fingers into the liner on Alex’s leg and rolled it down and off. 

“You can just throw it on top of the dirty clothes. I’ll wash it out later. I’ve got a clean one in the closet,” Alex explained through a yawn, laying back down again. 

“Okay,” Michael replied and Alex heard the dull thump of the liner hitting the laundry pile. He jumped a little when he felt Michael’s hand rubbing the outside of his thigh on his dismembered leg. 

“Relax for me,” he heard Michael command softly. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, Alex closed his eyes and tried to let himself relax. He felt Michael’s hand leave his thigh and then felt it again on his foot. The other hand joined and Michael started kneading his arch and ball of his foot. He felt a low moan escape out of him and tensed from the sound. 

“Shhh, it’s okay. I want you to hear you. I want you to feel good,” Michael said, kissing Alex’s kneecap for punctuation. Alex let himself relax again and Michael slowly worked his way up from Alex’s foot to his calf. Alex quit paying attention to the noise he was making because Michael’s hands manipulating the sore muscles of his leg were enough to make him ascend into the heavens. His hands kept moving up, kneading his thigh next. Alex felt his cock start to stir a little at the nearness of Michael’s hands, but the rest of his leg almost tingled with the welcome new blood flow, so he ignored it.

Alex expected Michael to switch straight over to his other thigh, but instead he felt his hot, hot hands land on his stump, fingers digging into the left-over muscles of his right calf. Alex poised himself to stiffen again in reflex. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that someone outside of a doctor or therapist would be okay touching him there. It felt more intimate than if Michael had grabbed his genitals. 

“Alex,” Michael chided softly. “Deep breath in and out. I’ve got you.”

Alex did as Michael instructed, breathing in deeply and letting his diaphragm expand into his stomach before slowly letting the air out from his mouth. He heard Michael’s hum of approval and his hands got back to work. Alex felt like he was floating,his entire being centered on the push and pull of Michael’s hands on the muscles in his legs. He knew he should be taking better care of the muscles there, but there just didn’t seem to be enough time in the day to stretch and massage himself the way he was supposed to. And maybe he liked ignoring his injury. He hated how much his day-to-day life had changed because of it. And maybe there was a small part of him that felt like he deserved it… but he wouldn’t allow his brain to go down that particular road that day. He would enjoy Michael’s hands and the pain-pleasure feeling of his efforts. 

When Michael finished, Alex lay content on the bed and let Michael guide his pajama pants on. He lifted his hips again when needed and then he settled back and enjoyed the warm feeling of calm Michael had given him with the massage. He heard Michael rustling around near the side of the bed and let his eyes drift open a little to see what he was up to. He watched as Michael started stripping off his work clothes. He was halfway through unbuttoning his shirt when he caught Alex watching him and gave him a charming grin. 

“Like what you see?” he teased, pulling his dress shirt off and draping it on the back of a chair. 

“MmmHMm,” Alex hummed, nodding his head as he continued to watch Michael stoop down and take off his socks. He started in on his work slacks, pushing the fabric down past his hips and legs and stepping out of them. He folded them neatly and placed them on the seat of the chair before turning to face Alex again. Alex absentmindedly started running fingers up and down his chest, licking his lips as he took in the sexiness that was Michael in black boxer briefs. 

“You sure you want to put pants on? I took a vote and everyone laying on this bed unanimously agreed it would be for the betterment of our well-being if you stayed exactly as you are.”

“Well, I’m going to have to disappoint the Coalition for No Pants Please and put some pants on. Pretty sure our foods going to be here soon and I don’t just let anyone see my lucky Tuesday boxers,” Michael replied, winking and grinning before picking up the sweats and putting them on. 

“Ugh, lame,” Alex groaned, closing his eyes again. He felt Michael’s hand pat his head as he passed back to the other side of the bed. 

“Come on, lazy bones. Time to get in prime TV watching position so I can introduce you to one of the better shows to come out in the last couple years.” 

Alex half rolled to his side, looking at where Michael was propping up several of his pillows against the headboard of the bed before climbing onto the mattress and leaning back against them. Alex watched him shrewdly as he turned and readjusted the pillows before half reclining against them with a sigh of contentment. The hotel room was still shadowed from the drawn curtains and Alex could see faint shimmers on Michael’s chest where the little bit of light leaking through the gaps around the edges were catching on his chest hair. 

“And where am I supposed to sit?” he asked, noting that there was only one pillow not being used now that Michael was propped up. He could probably stand to just lay next to Michael and put his head in his lap. 

“Well, I thought we’d get a little cuddle time in,” Michael replied, widening his legs and opening his arms in obvious invitation for Alex to fill the space between them. Alex rolled onto his hands and knees and gladly crawled over to situate himself between Michael’s legs and against his chest. He was about to lay back when he thought about how much better it would feel to have Michael’s skin against his.

“Wait!” Alex started, pulling away before Michael could wrap his arms around him. Alex shed his shirt and threw it towards the laundry pile smiling triumphantly at the soft whump of it hitting the edge of the pile. “K. Better. On with the cuddling.”

“You’re so fucking cute,” Michael laughed and wrapped his arms around Alex’s naked torso. Alex shifted and let himself mold his back against Michael’s front, shivering slightly from the warmth of his body. He let his knees fall open and rest on Michael’s calves. They sat like that for a moment before Alex decided to address the mess on the desk. Michael was reaching for the TV remote when he started.

“So before we get started watching your show,” Alex began, glad he was facing away from Michael while he broached the topic, “Let me go ahead and tell you about the desk.”

“Ooooo, the desk. Okay, I’m listening.” Michael dropped the TV remote onto the bed and leaned forward, resting his chin on Alex’s shoulder.

“Well, my friend Kyle…”

“The same Kyle who took you shopping and who you’re supposed to have dinner with tonight? The one I’m not supposed to be jealous of?”

“Yeah that Kyle. Speaking of,” Alex paused, looking around for his cell. He found it on the edge of the bed and grabbed it, typing out a quick text to Kyle to cancel their plans. “I’m canceling that. I don’t have it in me. I’m emotionally pretty wiped.”

“Okay. So, the desk?” Michael prompted, patiently waiting while Alex tossed his phone onto the far bedside table. 

“Right! So Kyle gave me a gift basket full of sex stuff. He didn’t ask me what I wanted or consult me in any way before getting all that stuff. He just… gets carried away with a theme. And he and I don’t have many boundaries with each other. He’s my platonic life mate. So he got me everything he thought I could possibly need in anticipation of you and I finally… uh… having sex,” Alex finished, a little flustered at the thought of him and Michael actually doing the deed. 

“I saw a douching kit in there. Your best friend bought you a douching kit?” Michael asked a little dubiously. 

“Yes, he did. And I told him he was definitely crossing some lines with that one. Not that he listened because then he proceeded to lecture me about the importance of using lube during any sort of butt play.”

“I mean, it is pretty important if you’re doing anything penetrative. And he did get you an awful lot of lube. Is he gay also?”

“So much lube. I’m pretty sure I could get a watermelon through the eye of a needle with all the lube he’s given me,” Alex joked and then cleared his throat, “Uh, no. Kyle’s straight. Super straight, but open and accepting about lifestyles alternative to his own.”

“He’s a good friend. I don’t think I have anyone who would buy me that much stuff for sex without wanting to be the one using it with me. It’s kind of nice that you’ve got someone who cares that much…even if it is a little weird that he bought you a douching kit and a VERY expensive cock ring. I’m glad you have someone who’s that supportive,” Michael said, bending his head to kiss Alex’s shoulder softly. Alex felt himself arch into it before he realized he was moving. His neck bent to the side, offering Michael more skin. 

“He’s my best friend. He can just be… overzealous sometimes,” Alex sighed, eyes fluttering closed and letting himself enjoy the contrast of Michael’s stubbled chin and soft kisses to the skin of his shoulder and neck. 

“Wait,” he said, sitting up marginally straighter. Michael paused, waiting for him to continue. “The green one? How much was it? How do you know?”

Michael chuckled against his skin, the rumble from his chest against Alex’s back doing things for him. 

“It’s probably a three-hundred-dollar cock ring. They’re handmade by a guy who lives in Sante Fe. I met him at a gallery exhibition a couple years ago with a friend who lives down there. They’re usually individually sized so I’m hoping it doesn’t fit.”

“Why?” Alex asked, concerned. He didn’t think it looked humungous or anything. 

“Because I don’t like the idea of your overzealous best friend staring at your crotch trying to mentally gauge how big you are when you’re hard,” Michael replied simply, kissing Alex’s ear. Alex thought about it and gagged a little at the thought of Kyle looking at him like that. 

“He probably just based it on himself. Maybe he’s hoping it won’t fit me and he’ll get to keep it?” Alex proposed. Michael scrunched up his face. 

“So he wants you to know how big HE is hard? I’m not sure that makes me feel any better,” Michael laughed. “Pretty sure my cock is the only one besides your own I want you thinking about like that.”

To punctuate his assertion, Michael wiggled his hips a little behind Alex, making him laugh and slap at his shoulder. 

“So you’re neurotic and a little possessive?”

“MmHmm,” Michael hummed in agreement. He resumed his kissing of Alex’s shoulder, teeth occasionally nipping softly at skin, followed by a smooth swipe of his tongue to soothe the spot. 

Alex was starting to feel a flush in his skin from the feeling of Michael’s mouth on him. Why were they still talking about Kyle? Michael’s hands were smoothing up and down his arms, nails gently scratching against his skin. Alex felt the sexual tension ramp up between them, his body writhing gently as small sighs left his mouth whenever Michael’s body responded and arched into his. 

“He’s my best friend. He’s known me at my personal worst and during some of the worst parts of my life. For all his faults, he’s loyal,” Alex said, trying to finish the conversation. He did not want to think about Kyle Valenti when his dick was tenting his pajama bottoms in a very obvious, obscene manner.

“You’re lucky to have him, but why don’t we talk about this instead,” Michael commented, hand shifting forward to cup around Alex’s hard on outside of his pants. Alex groaned, canting his hips up and trying to get more friction against Michael’s palm before he removed it, placing it back on Alex’s arm. 

“I thought you said no funny business,” Alex breathed after another minute of Michael’s teasing touches of tongue and teeth against skin. His skin felt so hot and tight over his muscles, he didn’t know how he hadn’t exploded already. If they weren’t going to go any further, he needed a breather to calm down. He hoped Michael didn’t stop this time, though. 

“Are you laughing?” Michael asked, mouth moving to Alex’s jaw when he turned his head to respond. His teeth grazed over the edge of the bone, lighting Alex up with the small zing of pain. When Michael did it a second time, Alex gasped at the pleasure that spread from Michael’s mouth straight to his crotch. He did not know this was a thing for him. He’d always thought he couldn’t handle pain sexually, but this was different. It was no more painful than a light pinch and scrape and it left Alex wanting more. 

“Definitely not,” Alex replied, lifting one of his hands and burying it in the curls at the back of Michael’s head. He was starting to feel desperate. He wanted him so badly. He could feel Michael’s smug smile at Alex’s response to him and Alex tightened his hand in Michael’s hair in retaliation. The gasp of pleasure he heard behind him made his own smug smile appear. 

“Do you want me to stop?” Michael breathed the question into Alex’s hairline as his hands slipped across Alex’s chest and stomach, pulling him tight against his body and making every shift between them feel more intense than it had a moment earlier. Alex felt so tightly wound it was almost painful. 

“God, no.” 

Alex could feel how turned on Michael was behind him and it made his body hotter with the knowledge. Michael continued to move his mouth along Alex’s jaw and neck, one of his hands slipping over his chest to pinch and rub across his nipples. The other hand slipping lower, past Alex’s belly button until two fingers slipped under the band of Alex’s underwear. His breath caught in his throat, mind warring with his body on if he should push up and make Michael’s hand slip further into his pants or pull away to grind back against Michael’s body some more.

“May I?” Michael asked, wiggling his fingers as if Alex hadn’t noticed where they were. 

“Yesssssss, oh fuck!” Alex hissed out his response, body deciding to push up against the hand on his lower stomach. 

Alex felt the hand snake past the waistband and then fingernails were scratching softly through his pubes before Michael’s hand was gripping him. It felt like heaven and hell. As soon as Michael started moving his hand, he lifted his head to Alex’s ear and began whispering. 

“Alex, fuck. You feel so good in my hand. I’ve wanted to touch you since I first laid eyes on you, you’re so fucking gorgeous. I want to feel you shaking apart in my arms. When I was massaging you earlier, the sounds you made, my God! My mouth was watering and I was having to do calculus problems in my head to concentrate and not blow my load like a fucking teenager. I’ve never been this horny in my life, all I want to do is touch you and taste you and make you mine.”

Alex could hear himself whimpering over the words, could feel his hips starting to give little aborted thrusts up into Michael’s fist. It was too dry, but Alex was so overwhelmed he wouldn’t have Michael stop unless he was bleeding. 

“Every time you’d kiss me in public, I’ve just wanted to take you. Against your hotel door room, bent over the bench seat in my truck, in literally every place I’ve seen you and you curled your body against mine and opened up for me, I’ve wanted to rip your clothes off and fuck you senseless. I love how needy your body is for mine, how much you want me. It makes me dizzy how much I want you back, how much I want to make you come on my ---” 

“Fuck, Michael, take me out of my pants. I’m so close,” Alex begged, hands gripping Michael’s thighs desperately. Michael withdrew his hand and tugged Alex’s pants down to just under his balls. Then, his hand was in front of Alex’s face and his voice rough against his ear. 

“Get me nice and wet. It’ll feel better.” 

Alex felt his cock give a hard throb at the command, and he found himself gripping Michael’s wrist as he sloppily laved his palm and fingers coating it with his saliva. 

“That’s it. Fuck, look at your gorgeous cock, Alex. Next time I want to blow you, is that okay? I can’t wait to have that fucker down my throat.”

Upon Alex’s excited gasp, Michael gently took his hand from Alex’s grip and started pumping Alex’s cock with renewed vigor. Alex’s hands quickly re-found its grip on Michael’s thighs, digging into the meat of them with his fingers as he got closer and closer to finishing. 

“You’re so fucking hot like this, Alex. Can you feel how hard I am back here? That’s yours, darlin’. You make me so fucking hot. I can’t wait to taste you. Can you come for me, darlin’, so I can taste you?” 

Alex had never come on command in his life. As soon as someone tried, it took him from where his body was floating on the plane of pleasure and sensation and slammed him back into his head. He could never stay in the headspace that just let him respond, never let him trust that what the person wanted was the best decision for him at the moment. Never…until Michael’s voice had traveled from his ear to his cock in 2 seconds flat, causing his balls to tighten and his cock to swell that last little bit. 

“Shit, shit, shit!” he yelled, feeling his stomach muscles seize as his hips stuttered and jerked. Michael loosened his grip but milked him through the orgasm whispering encouragement against his shoulder. When Alex was finished and gasping, body limp against Michael’s, he saw him gently release his grip and bring his come covered hand up to his lips, licking the warm, sticky substance like it was honey and ambrosia. Alex felt his stomach clench again, cock twitching in a valiant effort to show how hot he found the sight of Michael licking up his come was. 

“Jesus Christ, Michael,” Alex breathed, right before he turned and captured Michael’s mouth with his, forcing his way inside to search out the taste of himself, tongue competing with Michael’s as he reached down between them and tugged Michael out of the sweatpants. He felt like he’d only gotten a hand full of strokes in before Michael was gasping against his lips, warm liquid spilling onto Alex’s hand. Michael’s head tilted back as he tried to regain his breath. Smiling to himself, Alex wiped his hand on the abandoned pillow next to them and tucked Michael back into the sweatpants before getting himself back in order.

When Michael’s breath calmed, he looked at Alex with bright eyes and a Cheshire grin on his face. 

“Well, if the hand jobs are that good, I can’t wait to see how good we’re going to be at everything else.”

Alex laughed and leaned in to kiss him again, mouth open and claiming against Michael’s. After a few minutes he broke away to catch his breath. 

“You, sir, have the filthiest mouth I have ever heard,” Alex commented, punctuating his statement by nipping at Michael’s lower lip. 

“Are you complaining?” Michael asked, nipping back and holding Alex’s lower lip gently between his teeth for a moment before letting it go and catching Alex another kiss before he could reply. 

“God, no. I love it,” Alex replied on another breath. 

They kept kissing, hands running over one another, but without the urgency from before. Soon enough a knock came at the hotel door and Michael extricated himself to go answer it. Alex noted with smug satisfaction that Michael already had to readjust himself so as not to answer the door with a very obvious boner. 


	5. Something More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Alex eat their enchiladas, watch The Umbrella Academy and go to dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [Strangeredlantern](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strangeredlantern) for beta'ing! Check out The Black Parade on her AO3 (its seriously amazing).

Michael and Alex ate their enchiladas out on the balcony connected to Alex’s hotel room, enjoying the late afternoon sun. Alex had ordered a bucket of beers from the bar upstairs and once the food was gone, they sat outside with their feet up on the balustrade enjoying the afternoon. 

“So when are you planning on going back to Roswell?” Michael asked, startling Alex out of his thoughts about what they’d do for dinner. 

“Uh, actually I’ve got an interview tomorrow and then I’m planning on heading out the next day, Thursday,” he replied, starting to fiddle with the lifted edge of his beer’s label. He didn’t like thinking about leaving. This trip had turned into something amazing and he wasn’t ready to return to his isolated second-hand cabin and his relatively lonely life in Roswell. 

“Oh, damn. I was hoping you’d be here for the weekend,” Michael commented. 

“Oh? Big plans?”

“I wanted to go camping with you on an overnighter. I know the best place to night swim and stargaze,” Michael responded. The idea of getting to have more time with Michael was tempting. He didn’t know how sex outside would differ from sex inside, but he was pretty sure he was down for it. 

“Well, maybe I can drive back down on Friday and we can go when you’re finished with your classes for the day?” Alex offered, noting that Michael was starting to pout.

“Yeah, maybe,” he finally offered, taking a large draw from his beer. Alex frowned and made a split-second decision. Standing, he put out his hand to the balcony’s balustrade for balance and awkwardly hopped the two steps to Michael’s seat. 

“Whoa, what are you doing?” Michael exclaimed, bringing his legs down and sitting up like he was poised for action. 

Slowly and carefully, Alex crowded closer to Michael so he could straddle his lap and sit down. When he was settled, he took a slow sip from his beer, set it down on the table and then laid his arms over Michael’s shoulders, looking down at him in mock seriousness. 

“Going to miss me that much, Michael?” he asked, noting that Michael’s hands had settled low on his back- presumably to help him balance. Michael looked up at him a moment and nodded, paused, and then shook his head. 

“You’re not going to miss me?” Alex asked, slightly hurt. “Well, then…”

He started to shift his weight, looking around him while trying to figure out the best way to get off Michael’s lap. He couldn't keep eye contact with Michael and also control his reaction to the sharp edge of rejection he felt from Michael’s words. 

“No, no, no, that’s not what I meant. I am going to miss you, of course,” Michael amended, sitting up and pulling Alex’s body closer to his. Alex looked down at him and quit trying to move away. The sincerity and edge of panic he saw in Michael’s golden brown eyes let him relax his muscles, ready to hear Michael out. Michael swallowed, eyes boring into Alex’s as if scared at what he’d find after his first major blunder of words. When Alex remained seated on his lap, staring calmly back at him, he continued. “It’s not that that makes me feel bummed. It’s… well… a lot of people that I’ve cared about in my life have left me by force or by choice. As much as I’ll miss you, I guess it’s more accurate to say I’m more afraid you won’t come back. All I’ll have are these last couple of days and I want so, so much more than that.”

Alex stayed silent; his mind disquieted by the emotion behind Michael’s statement. He couldn’t fathom a world where the last few days meant as much to someone else as they had to him.

“How can you say that? You’ve known me for less than a week. How can you know that you want more?” Alex asked quietly, only meeting Michael’s eyes in quick flitting glances while he waited for an answer. He knew his own insecurities were getting the best of him, but it was hard to believe someone wanted him to stay around.

“I don’t know who told you that you weren’t worth wanting, but Alex, you drive me absolutely wild with it. I want to know everything there is to know about you. I want us to get stupid and domestic together. I want us to have all sorts of adventures. I told you, I don’t usually desire people. I guess when I do, I get intense quick. Zero to infinity,” Michael finished, eyes boring into Alex’s again while Alex stayed silent. He didn’t know how to answer that. He wanted that too, but Michael was right. He’d been taught by his dad, his brothers, and the military that he was nothing and his life was expendable. “And I guess if you’re not comfortable with that, we’d better cut this off quick. I don’t see myself becoming less attached to you.”

Alex took in a shaky breath, feeling like his skin and bones were too fragile to contain all the conflicting emotions he had inside him. What Michael said scared and thrilled him in equal measure, doubt clouding his brain from accepting this amazing man at face value. He wasn’t ready to let doubt make any final decisions for him. He brought his hands down onto Michael’s chest, letting himself feel the slow rise and fall of his chest and the rapid pace of his heart as he waited for Alex to say something. 

“Okay, I’m not running away from that. I’m just… overwhelmed,” Alex said simply, not yet daring to meet Michael’s eyes again. “I have a lot of emotional trust issues. My dad was…is a complete asshole who has spent every minute off base trying to beat or harass any weakness out of me. It’s left me with a lot of self-worth issues that I mostly ignore until something pushes them into my face. And my mom…. Fucking disappeared when she couldn’t shield me from him anymore.”

He drew in a breath and saw Michael open his mouth, perhaps to protest, perhaps to console. Alex didn’t want to stop now that he was talking so he gently laid his hand over Michael’s mouth and looked at him, asking with his eyes for patience. 

“I want you, Michael. I do, but the idea that you want me as much as I want you also makes me feel panicky. Because what if I fuck it up? What if I drive you away because I can’t get past my own issues enough to accept whatever form of love you offer me? It’s… a lot. It would be a lot whether we’d known each other for three days or thirty years. And I’m going to work on that. Because I want you too, and I want to be able to revel in that reciprocal feeling." He slowly started to lower his hand from Michael’s mouth. In a rush of need brought on from the heady rush of exposing his feelings, Alex added quickly, "But I have to warn you, I’m a little fucked up and eventually you’re going to see that and frankly, that scares the living shit out of me.” 

Michael had listened to him with growing shock, but he'd reached up and held Alex’s wrist, stopping him from removing his hand when he'd begun to remove it. Alex felt the barest kiss on his palm before Michael let their hands drop to rest on his chest over his heart. 

“Don’t worry. I’ve got demons of my own. We just got to teach them how to dance with each other is all,” Michael stated simply, like it was just that easy. Alex let himself give up a weak, tired smile before he lowered himself onto Michael’s chest and let himself be held. 

Michael’s phone started ringing in his back pocket. Alex sighed into his neck and tensed to lift up. 

“Let it go to voicemail. I’ll call them back. I want to stay like this for a few more minutes,” Michael whispered, arms tightening around Alex to keep him still. Alex nodded and let himself relax again. “Especially when you’re going to LEAVE me in a day!”

Alex grinned and pinched Michael’s side, making him jump and shriek a little. 

“Hey now! Don’t damage the goods! Hundred dollar surcharge for marks that last longer than an hour,” Michael cried, trying to wiggle away from Alex’s tickling fingers. They wrestled in the chair until Michael caught Alex’s hands and trapped them behind his back. Alex knew enough self defense he could have broken the hold easily, but there was something kind of hot about Michael restraining him. He mentally shook himself and bent forward to look Michael in the eye. He was wearing a smug look of triumph over his ‘besting’ of Alex. 

“Shut up. Let’s go watch your show for awhile,” Alex said before kissing Michael sweetly. Michael’s eyes went soft and he returned the kiss with one of his own. 

“It’s not my show. It’s just a really good show. I promise you’ll like it,” Michael replied. Neither of them moved for a moment, enjoying the tension between their mouths and bodies. 

“Okay,” Alex said finally, leaning back to sit up. He felt Michael’s hands fall away from where they’d been holding his wrists and Alex awkwardly stood up and backed away from Michael’s lap. With the aid of the balustrade, he hopped toward his chair where he could grab his crutches and get himself back into the hotel room. 

They settled back onto the bed, laying with their shoulders pressed together facing the TV. Michael had grabbed each of them another beer and Alex sipped as he watched Michael fiddle with the remote. 

“So what’s this show about?” Alex asked as Michael searched through the Netflix menu. 

“Uhm. A family of adopted kids with special powers who were trained to basically be superheroes but grew up and left,” Michael explained, hitting play and starting the first episode. Alex took the opportunity to maneuver his body so he could comfortably lay his head on Michael’s stomach. He felt Michael’s warm hand reach over and rest itself on his waist, fingers splayed against his skin, warm and comforting. 

“Aw, babe, they found my origin story,” Alex snickered, looking up at Michael before handing him his bottle to place over on the nightstand. 

“Shut up and watch the TV, brat.” Alex felt Michael pinch his side softly, and he settled back facing forward to watch the show. He liked it. It felt a little weird how much he identified with the characters' relationship with their father, but overall he was finding it pretty entertaining. Two and a half episodes in, however, he could feel his attention drifting. He wasn’t bored, but he had this gorgeous man in his bed who smelled a little like sex from their earlier romp, and whose hand and body felt especially good all the places they were touching, and Alex might just have to gift these sweatpants to Michael because they hid absolutely nothing and were giving him all sorts of ideas.

He started slow, using his fingers to draw absentminded seeming little circles against Michael’s thigh. He felt Michael’s attention briefly wash over him, but since he let himself seem absorbed in the action on screen, Michael relaxed and went back to watching as well. Alex slowly let the circles turn into swirling ovals, dipping further and further up on Michael’s leg. When he was only an inch or so below Michael’s crotch he stopped and let his hand rest innocently on his muscle, fingers dipping slightly in towards the seam of the pants. He had been watching Michael’s body avidly and noted with satisfaction that he was chubbing up nicely from the attention. Above him, Michael sighed through his nose. 

“I thought we were watching the show?” Michael asked, his own hand lightly trailing up and down Alex’s side as he spoke. Alex could hear the amusement in his voice and goosebumps erupted over his skin. He felt his body canting into the sensation. 

“We are,” Alex replied, even though his unoccupied hand had grabbed Michael’s and brought it up to rest on his chest where Michael’s teasing fingers could brush over his nipple. His other hand dipped into the crease between Michael’s legs and he let his thumb brush softly across the fabric covering Michael’s balls. He heard Michael grunt above him and saw his cock start tenting the soft cotton pants. 

Alex turned his head and gently bit Michael’s stomach, reveling in the sharp intake of breath that he heard before he gave the spot a slow, open mouthed kiss and let his tongue soothe the sting. He repeated this a few times, interspersing soft, chaste kisses into the mix, before moving down and giving the skin above Michael’s waistband a long, flat lick. By this time Michael was hard enough for his cock to be pulling the pants slightly away from his skin, showing just a hint of what was underneath. Alex could feel the warmth radiating on his cheek and he let his hand come up to lightly grip Michael through his clothes. 

“I’m going to pause the show,” he heard Michael announce a little raggedly. 

“NO!” Alex exclaimed, sitting up and turning to face Michael. He looked a little shocked and was frozen with the remote halfway from the bedside table where it’d been resting. “Keep it on. I like it. I just need to occupy my hands.”

The look Michael gave him told him he was not buying that for a moment, but he set the remote back down before turning back to Alex and looking pointedly down towards his stomach and then at the TV. Alex grinned. This time he laid on his stomach, burying one arm in the small space left between Michael’s back and the mattress under the mountain of pillows he’d used to prop himself up, the other going immediately back to softly stroking Michael’s cock over his pants. He felt Michael shift slightly, hips pressing up into the slight pressure from Alex’s hand and then his hand was sliding down Alex’s naked back and slipping into the waistband of his pajama pants. Alex’s own cock gave a throb of desire at the feeling, his back arching against the mattress in encouragement. Leaning slightly, Michael stretched and his hand slipped a little further down, middle finger settling in the hollow where his ass cheeks began. 

Alex breathed deeply, ignoring how much he wanted to press up further and move Michael’s hand lower. His eyes glanced at the screen, noting Five making a sandwich or something, before he refocused his attention on the cock in front of him. He rubbed his thumb over the cloth covered head of Michael’s cock, noting with satisfaction the wet dark spot that appeared almost instantly. He lowered his head, laying the flat of his tongue over the spot and lapping to get at the flavor through the cloth. He heard a loud muffled gasp, Michael’s body shifted restlessly underneath him, followed by a thump against the headboard. Alex grinned to himself before turning to get a quick look at Michael's face. His eyes were half closed, hand buried in his own curls as he watched Alex with rapt attention. Alex bit his lower lip coquettishly before turning back to his task and slowly pulling the material away and down. Michael’s cock already looked angry and red, straining up towards his belly button, drooling precum. Alex didn’t consciously make the decision to start moving, but he suddenly had the salty tang of Michael’s precum on his tongue as he closed his mouth around the spongy head and sucked like it was his favorite candy.

He found himself maneuvering onto his knees to get more leverage, lowering his mouth over the silky skin of Michael’s length slow and steady. He wanted to remember every inch of the first time he got Michael Guerin in his mouth. 

“Fuck, Alex, fuck…. Your mouth, darlin’” he heard Michael’s strained whisper. The hand that had been against his lower back splayed and spasmed as Alex buried his nose against Michael’s pubes and swallowed around his length. He held himself there, breathing through his nose and forcing his throat to relax while Michael’s hips moved in slow circles beneath him, more grinding against his face more than fucking it. A hand tangled into his hair, tugging at the strands restlessly. Michael seemed content to let Alex regulate how deep and for how long he wanted to hold him, but not content to let Alex have all the fun. He felt Michael's hand at his back starting to push at the waistband of his pajama pants. With a quick motion, Alex undid the knot that kept them on his hips and helped push them down to pool at his knees. He took hold of his own cock, giving himself a few short stokes to get some relief from how fucking turned on he was and then let his hand drift down to gently knead and tug at his balls. 

Finally, Alex drew back slowly off of Michael’s cock, a loud wet noise accompanying the suction. He immediately put his hand around the length as he drew away and squeezed lightly, following his mouth until he popped off the head, gasping for a deep breath. He went back immediately, his lips fitting around Michael and he began to set a steady pace as he sucked and caressed him with his tongue. He felt a cold wetness along his ass crack and turned to look up at Michael in question, his own mouth still stuffed full. Michael held up the open packet of lube he must have liberated from the pile on the desk at some point and grinned. Alex rolled his eyes and let his lips curl as much as they could into a smile. Then Michael’s fingers were pressing softly, down and over Alex’s hole spreading the lube. He felt the groan he let out come from somewhere almost as far down as Michael’s hands, deep and needy. 

“Have you done this before? To yourself? Or has someone else…” Michael trailed off as Alex gave a particularly vicious suck so he could come up far enough to nod before he pushed himself down again, as far as he could go feeling as desperate as he did. Michael’s body vibrated once Alex felt the soft curls of Michael tickling his nose again. The sharp sting of a slap against his ass cheek was hard enough to push his body slightly forward, and he let out a muffled cry of pleasure at the sensation. It had surprised him, but he'd managed to stop himself from gagging by sheer will. The rough-handed squeeze that followed it and the way he could feel Michael’s desperate twitching and writhing made him feel a little mad with power. 

“Okay, okay,” Michael breathed heavily from above him, sounding like he was dying and bargaining with God. “You gotta back off a little. I don’t want to come yet. And fuck, your fucking mouth… Goddamnit, Alex. Get up here and kiss me.”

Alex smiled when he got a good look at Michael. His curls were wild where he’d been running his hand through them, his lips were red and wet from where he’d obviously been biting them, and his pupils were blown wide and half-slitted in pleasure. He looked like a sex dream. Alex launched towards him, unable to hold himself back, and he attacked Michael’s mouth with his. His hands slid over Michael’s face until they held him on either side of his jaw, keeping him where Alex wanted him. Michael’s hand at Alex’s ass slid inwards and Alex felt his fingers pass once again over his empty hole. He broke away as much to get air as to gasp wetly at the sensation of pressure. He needed more.

“Please, Michael, I need you to get your fingers in me. I need it,” he repeated through gritted teeth, feeling his eyes slip shut as Michael pushed teasingly at the tight ring of muscle. 

“You need me? Right here?” Michael asked, pressing in with the tip of one finger and earning himself a whimper from Alex. 

Alex was biting his lip and nodding, body starting to rock down against Michael’s hand to get more of him in. 

“Let me add some more lube and I’ll give you what you need, darlin’” Michael whispered, nipping at Alex’s bottom lip softly. Alex lunged and caught his mouth again, desperate and dirty, fucking his tongue in and out to show him exactly what he needed from him. Then he pulled back and started kissing his way down Michael’s jaw to his neck and chest, trying to give him room to do what he needed to do while Alex stayed in contact with his skin. 

“Michael,” he heard himself keening into the thin skin covering Michael’s ribs. 

“I got you, darlin’” he replied, and Alex felt his hand back on his ass and then those warm, slick fingers at his hole. With the extra lube, Michael’s first finger sank in easily and Alex let out a long,shuddering breath of desire at the feeling. Michael pumped the finger in and out a few times, and then came back with two. It had been a while and two was a stretch, but when Michael started to fuck his fingers in and out at a steady rhythm Alex found he had to take himself in hand to ease the neediness he felt. He needed a distraction if he didn't want to blow his load in the next five seconds and so his free hand came to grasp Michael’s cock, finding it still rock hard- despite the break Alex had given him from sucking his brains out. 

“Michael,” he panted, having trouble forming thoughts as his body started to rock back against Michael’s hand, silently begging for more. Michael didn’t answer, obviously absorbed in his task and Alex had to try again. “Michael. Can I… can I…?”

He couldn’t form the words. His mouth was already salivating from the idea and Michael had found his prostate. On every outward stroke of his fingers would run a knuckle along it and make Alex’s brain melt; so Alex gave himself permission and took Michael’s cock back in his mouth. A pleasured exclamation from Michael was soon followed with his hand back in Alex’s hair, tugging and gripping at his scalp even as he let Alex stay in control of the movement. Alex let him and focused on redoubling his efforts to try and break Michael apart. 

“Shit, Alex, you look so fucking hot right now,” Michael was sighing above him. Alex hummed in response which earned him a third finger in his hole and the feeling that he’d blow any second, especially if he kept listening to Michael talk. “Need to remember this. You like having all your holes filled, don’t you? Maybe that plug will come in handy. Or maybe we could let you be my cock warmer next time I want to watch a show and you’re feeling too empty.”

Alex whimpered at the vision that sprang to his mind. He and Michael on some couch, spooned together watching TV, with Michael’s hard cock keeping his ass stretched until he was ready to use him. He lost himself in the idea, not realizing how close he’d gotten until he was coming and choking on Michael’s cock. Michael didn’t last much longer, obviously the sensation of Alex’s throat squeezing him pulled him over the edge with him and Alex was helpless to do anything but swallow the whole load before pulling off and collapsing to his side, trying his best to avoid his own wet spot. 

They breathed deeply, gasping really, as they came down. The room smelled like sex again and felt humid from their activities. Michael grabbed one of the beers from the bedside table and offered it wordlessly to Alex. Alex took it and sipped, glad to have something cold on his throat, but already missing the taste of Michael on his tongue. 

“I have got to say, you’re a-fucking-mazing, Alex Manes. And apparently, a little kinky?” Michael asked, still breathless but laughing lightly. He sounded affectionate and fucked out and Alex wanted to hear that voice a lot more often. 

“I have my moments,” Alex replied, noting how hoarse he sounded and feeling thrilled by it. 

“Yeah, you do,” Michael agreed. Alex looked up at the dark Netflix screen that asked if they were still watching and laughed weakly. He pointed at it and Michael took notice, chuckling also. 

“Still want to watch for a while or do you want to get some dinner?” Michael asked, grabbing the remote. 

“I’m afraid if we don’t leave this bed, I’m never going to stop trying to fuck you,” Alex commented, hauling himself into a sitting position and pulling his pants up. He was taking another sip of his beer when Michael answered.

“I mean, I’m not saying ‘no’ to that option in theory, but I guess we should leave a little mystery between us. At least for another day or so. I don’t need you knowing that I also am a horny cockslut,” Michael joked. Alex closed his eyes at the image and groaned. 

“You can’t saaaayyy things like that. My brain doesn’t know that my body needs at least twenty minutes before it’s ready for another round,” Alex whined, smiling over at Michael as he laughed. He really was beautiful to Alex. 

“I’m going to take a quick shower. Think about what you want to eat and then you can shower and I’ll figure out where to take you for it.” Michael stood up, hands outstretched as he caught his balance. Alex smirked. 

“You sure about that shower? Apparently all the blood hasn’t made it back to your brain yet,” he teased. 

“Hush,” Michael chided, pulling Alex’s sweatpants all the way off and rewarding Alex with an excellent view of his naked body. Michael turned and bent over the bed, cupping his hand on Alex’s cheek before kissing him slowly. “Think: food. Real human food.”

“I’ll think about it,” Alex assured him, giving Michael a quick peck before he pulled away. 

When Alex heard the water start in the restroom and then grabbed his phone from the bedside table.

**> Thanks for all the lube. **   
**< Kyle> I take it your evening has been going smoothly?**   
**< Kyle> Wait, did you cancel on me just so you could get laid? RUDE!**   
**> LOL. No. My dad called and was, ya know, him.**   
**< Kyle> Panic attack?**   
**> Yeah.**   
**< Kyle> How bad?**   
**> I’ve had worse, but it pretty much wiped me out. Michael came over and got lunch delivered and we’ve been watching a show called The Umbrella Academy. **   
**< Kyle> And apparently doing something with lube. **   
**> Yes, that too. So thanks for that. And for being an awesome friend who oversteps sometimes. And for generally growing up to be awesome. **   
**< Kyle> Damn, that must’ve been some orgasm. **   
**> OMG, shut up and take the compliment. I’m the self-deprecating one in this friendship!**   
**< Kyle> LOL. Well, you’re welcome then. Have fun tonight and be safe!**   
**> Yes, mom. **   
**< Kyle> :P**   
**< Kyle> Love you, bro. **   
**> Love you too. **

He and Michael ended up going for sushi a few blocks from Alex's hotel. They’d walked because Alex was “tired of being lazy”. 

“If those two orgasms you gave me were you being lazy, I’d hate to see you being athletic,” Michael said softly against his ear as they’d left the hotel. Alex had blushed and given him a shy grin, muttering a “shut up” even though he was pleased at the compliment. 

The sushi restaurant they went to was called Sekisui and featured high backed booths along the exterior walls as well as a few tables in the middle of the dining room and a sushi bar at the back. Michael waved to the hostess as soon as they entered. She was young, with skin the color of dark chocolate and her dark brown hair braided and put into an elaborate bun on her head. 

“Professor Guerin!” she exclaimed, smiling at Michael and then nodding to Alex. “Haven’t seen you hear in awhile.”

“I’ve been keeping myself busy up at the school. Can my date and I get a booth?” he asked, looking around the restaurant. Alex blushed a little, shocked at how intimate it felt to him to be announced as someone’s date. He’d never really gotten far enough in any relationship, if that’s what this could be called, to be anyone’s date, let alone “boyfriend”. He hoped he’d get there with Michael. 

“Sure you can. Follow me,” she said while grabbing a couple menus and place settings. She led them to the furthest booth from the door and Alex noted that it was a wraparound booth instead of just one with two benches facing each other. He slid in one side and watched Michael slide in the other, shaking his head as they just ended up sitting about six inches away from each other in the middle. 

“Thanks, Stacy. How’s your semester going?” Michael asked as she laid out their place settings and menus. 

“Pretty good. Just two more semesters until that fancy bachelors is mine,” she joked. “Can I get you guys something to drink?”

“Uh yeah, let’s get a bottle of sake and I’d like a water, too. Alex?” Michael turned to look at Alex in question. 

“Let me get some water, too, please,” he responded. Stacy bobbed her head in acknowledgement and went towards the drink station. Alex waited until she was out of ear shot before asking, “Ex-student, I take it?”

“Kind of? I helped with the tutoring program on campus a couple years ago and she needed a lot of help in business calc. I basically saw her twice a week for a whole semester and helped her get the required C in the course to continue with her degree track,” Michael explained.

“You kind of seem like a local celebrity. Seems like you know somewhere just about everywhere,” Alex commented, grabbing Michael’s hand and holding it on the table between them. Michael grinned a little sheepishly. 

“Albuquerque really isn’t that big of a town. There’s maybe two degrees of separation between everyone. Someone always knows someone who knows someone and with teaching at the college, I know a lot of people struggling in the service industry,” Michael explained, leaning back into the padded seat and putting on an air of casualness that Alex didn’t totally buy. He left their hands together on the table though and Alex felt like it was some kind of statement. That’s when Alex realized that he was acting a little jealous and felt a flush of embarrassment run though him. 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound accusatory,” Alex said, squeezing Michael’s hand in his. Michael brought their hands to his mouth so he could kiss the back of Alex’s hand and smiled at him, shooting him a wink so Alex would know they were okay. 

Stacy returned and set down their drinks. 

“Donald’s going to be your waiter. He’ll be by in a minute to get your orders. Anything else I can get you before I head back to the front?” she asked, perfectly polite and professional. 

“No, we’re great. Thanks, Stacy,” Michael replied, smiling at her and then turning his attention back to Alex in a polite but clear dismissal. Alex was only peripherally aware of Stacy walking away as he stared back at Michael, smiling hugely. Alex, feeling daring, moved forward and gave Michael a soft kiss on his lips. Michael returned it and Alex felt like he was floating. He didn’t do public displays of affection. In Roswell, it would have gotten back to his father before he’d taken another breath and it would have earned him nothing but bruises. With Michael, a couple hundred miles away from that dictator that gave him half his DNA, he felt a little safer showing his affection in front of other people. There was no hammer hanging over his head, ready to nail him for displaying abberant behavior.

“We should figure out what we want to eat,” Michael said, his voice low like he was sharing a secret. Alex nodded, wishing suddenly that they’d just stayed in the hotel room where he could keep kissing Michael until they passed out from hunger. Michael leaned forward and grabbed his water, taking a sip before turning and starting to read over the menu. Alex started to do the same, marking the rolls he’d want for himself. He was looking at the specialty rolls when Michael spoke up. 

“How do you feel about edging?” he asked, voice so casual Alex almost missed the question. When he caught it, he looked over at Michael in shock, but Michael was carefully making sure he stayed calm and looked engrossed in his menu. 

“Uh… you mean in a sexual sense or like…. Pavers around a garden?” Alex asked, voice stuttering a little. He kept his voice low, but clear, not wanting to draw any attention from the other patrons. Michael snorted and glanced at him before making a mark on his order sheet. 

“I don’t have much experience with it,” Alex admitted. He glanced nervously around the restaurant as he spoke, wondering who could hear them over the low white noise of other conversations and flute music over the speakers. “Is this really the place to discuss this?”

“It’s not the worst place to discuss it,” Michael commented, pushing away his order sheet. “Are you finished?”

Alex glanced back down to his sheet and hastily chose the last roll before stacking his sheet on top of Michael’s at the end of table. He seemed almost business-like as he turned his full attention to Alex. He seemed to be waiting for Alex to tell him more and Alex felt himself squirm a little inside at the feeling. 

“Okay. So I don’t have much experience with it, like I said, but I’m open to trying more of it,” he answered truthfully. Michael nodded, seeming to file that information away before choosing his next question. 

“How kinky do you think you are, Alex?” he asked seriously. Before Alex could answer, their waiter stopped at their table

“Got these all filled out? Excellent. Anything I can get for you as an appetizer before I give these to the chefs?” Donald asked, eyes scrolling down the lists in his hand. 

“Two misos?” Michael asked, looking over at Alex again for confirmation. Alex nodded, still dumbfounded as Michael confirmed with the waiter, seemingly unphased. “Yes, two misos. Thanks.”

Alex let Donald wander away with their order sheets and was about to answer Michael when his phone started ringing. He dug it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. 

“One sec, Michael,” he said, turning his body away before hitting the Answer button, silently glad for the distraction. “Alex Manes speaking.”

“Mr. Manes! I’m so glad to have caught you. This is Alexa Brighton from Juarez, Estefan, and Prince law firm’s HR department. I would like to set up an interview with you while you’re in town. Could we possibly set something up for Thursday? I’m all booked up tomorrow, I’m sorry to say,” a pleasant but professional voiced woman rattled off in his ear. His brain was quick, though, and he was happy to have another interview offer besides the one he had tomorrow with Conway. 

“Yes! Yes, I’d love to. What time were you thinking?” Alex asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice, but knowing that he’d failed. 

“How about 2 o’clock on Thursday? Sound good?” she asked. 

“Sounds perfect. I look forward to meeting with you Ms. Brighten. Thank you so much for calling me,” he said with genuine enthusiasm. 

“Thank you for accommodating us on such short notice! I won’t keep you any longer, Mr. Manes, I know it’s dinnertime for most. Have a nice evening and we’ll see you on Thursday!” 

“See you then. Have a good night also, Ms. Brighten.” He heard the line go dead and turned to look at Michael who was eying him with open curiosity. 

“I just got a job interview with a law firm on Thursday,” Alex told him, smiling hugely. Michael’s face broke into a smile in return and he clapped his hand on Alex’s shoulder. 

“Hell yeah you did! Congrats, Alex, that’s great,” Michael replied. Alex laughed and accepted a cup of sake from Michael for them to toast with. 

“You have an interview tomorrow too, right?” Michael asked after they’d downed their drinks. 

“Yeah, at this global security company. I’m not really that excited about it, but I’m a shoe in for the job because of my military history,” Alex explained, looking down at his water and letting his finger trace the rim restlessly. He was silently beginning to organize his days in his head when he thought of something and sat up, looking at Michael. “Crap, I’m going to have to see if I can extend my room another two nights!”

Michael laughed as Alex tried to pull up the hotel app on his phone. 

“Or,” he said, pausing until he had Alex’s full attention. “Or… I manage a couple AirBnB’s around town. I should have one of them open for Wednesday and Thursday night. Then you won’t have to go broke staying in that nice ass hotel.”

“Oh I don’t know if I could do that, Michael. How much would I owe you?” Alex asked, thinking about how much it would cost him if he stayed in the hotel. He’d come up here on some savings, but he hated spending any more of it than needed. 

“Nothing. Seriously. Maybe I’ll cook you dinner one night, we’ll hang out, and then Friday we’ll go camping. The only thing I have between now and then is work at the school and I have a meeting with one of the property owners on Wednesday night for a little while,” Michael said with barely restrained excitement. He was already pulling out his phone and punching things in on his screen before Alex could really protest. It would be nice to get out of the hotel and it would be better not to spend too much more money. He’d splurged on the hotel because it had been quite some time since he’d been out of Roswell or out of a base bunk.

“Yeah, okay. If you’re sure it’s not going to be an issue?” Alex asked again, looking for any sign that Michael was perturbed or unsure about his offer. Michael looked over at him and smiled, shaking his head that it wasn’t. Their food arrived while Michael was still tapping away on his phone and Alex let himself daydream about what they might do together for two extra days. 

“So about my earlier question,” Michael ventured after they’d eaten their soups and were waiting on the sushi to arrive. Alex felt himself start to blush and Michael scooted closer, laying an arm over the back of the booth and pressing their thighs together. “I’m not trying to embarrass you. I’m just afraid if we talk about this at the hotel, we’re going to get distracted by showing and not telling, if you catch my drift.”

Alex nodded and cleared his throat, grabbing his water to drink in order to buy himself a minute to figure out how to answer. ' “I’d say… I’m not sure. I mean, I don’t think I’m extraordinarily kinky. I, uh, like certain aspects of kink but I’ve never really had the opportunity to explore it. Part of the issue with never having an emotional connection with the people you're having sex with is that you don’t trust them enough to really explore,” Alex explained, keeping his voice low and keeping his eyes off Michael’s. 

“Okay, so….so far I’ve noted that you like dirty talk, you seem to like a little bit of biting, both giving and receiving, and you like it when I take control from you. Does that sound right so far?” Michael asked, pouring sake for them both and acting like they were talking about the weather or something else equally innocuous. Alex thought back to the making out and sex they’d had, remembering the things that Michael did to him that made him feel crazy. His body felt a little hot as the images of Michael’s body and the sounds he’d made ran through Alex’s head. 

“Yeah, yeah I liked all that. A lot,” Alex replied, his voice going breathless over the memories. “But I don’t think I’d ever want to like… whip you or anything. I don’t think I’d be into that kind of pain on me either. But a… a spanking,” he whispered the last word, ducking his head down to try and hide his embarrassment, “…every now and then wouldn’t be unwelcome.”

“Okay. Yeah, that was pretty hot for me to do to you. Is there anything you already know that you are absolute dealbreakers? Hard limits?” Michael continued after kissing Alex’s temple and chuckling good naturedly. 

“Probably the normal stuff. No blood, bodily fluids, or broken limbs," Alex replied with a shrug, smiling over at Michael as he said it. 

Alex was very glad their sushi came. Michael shifted away from him back to his place setting and they ate in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the good food and thinking over what had been said. 

“I cannot stand humiliation in bed. I don’t like being taunted or told that I’m bad or anything like that. I love getting praise. I know some people get off on being berated verbally, and that’s fine, but for me… it just reminds me too much of things I’d rather not re-experience,” Michael said, quietly, fiddling with a piece of nigiri with his chopsticks. Alex looked at him for a moment, putting that tiny confession into the picture of what he knew about Michael so far. 

“I haven’t ever been in a position to experience that, but I’m pretty sure it would be a hard no for me as well. I don’t mind the dirty talk, because even when you’re calling me a… uh… slut, you’re backing it up with positive feedback. But to just have someone verbally abusing me and expecting me to find sexual pleasure from it is a little far fetched in my mind. I don’t think that would be something I’d be into either for probably very similar reasons.”

Michael nodded, finally picking up the piece of fish and rice and eating it. After he swallowed, he looked over and let his eyes linger on Alex’s. 

“Okay. I’m not going to make us fill out a kink worksheet or anything. If you don’t like something I’m doing or it’s putting you on edge at all and taking you out of the moment, just let me know. I don’t think we need a safeword right now unless you just want one. If you say ‘no’ or ‘stop’, I’ll just do that,” Michael said solemnly. Alex smiled ruefully, feeling like this was a wound he’d have to make sure to take care of for Michael. 

“Okay. Same. If you say ‘stop’, I stop. I would never want you to do something in bed for me that you didn’t enjoy also,” Alex finished his statement by kissing Michael softly. He didn’t let his eyes waver as he’d spoken and knew that they’d definitely understood one another. 

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Michael said softly, still following Alex’s eyes with his. 

“Thank you. You’re pretty amazing yourself.”

They finished dinner without the weight of their previous conversation hanging over them, but Alex knew he’d spend part of the night unpacking all the subtext after he and Michael said their goodnights. 


	6. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has stress nightmares, interviews for a new job, and meets a creepy old woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: gore, Jesse manes,  
> In Alex's nightmare it features his father and some pretty graphic imagery. You can skip it by scrolling past the italicized part at the beginning of the chapter.
> 
> \---  
> This chapter is unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own. Hopefully not too many of them!

_Alex pushed through the cold, glass double doors of the Conway Security building. The interior was so frigid Alex was surprised he didn’t see his breath as he walked to the elevators. The entryway was a small high-ceilinged metal box with no directory or doors except for the elevator. He frowned when he saw that the current floor number next to the elevator read ‘9’ instead of one. Turning to look back at the entrance doors, he saw that frost covered the floor and handles. He knew if he touched them to leave, the cold would burn his skin. Shaking his head in confusion, he loaded himself onto the elevator and pushed the button for the fifth floor._

_As the elevator rose, he felt the air get warmer and indeed, the walls seemed to shimmer with heat. The seams of the metal box glowed bright and sweat started to collect at his temples, his upper lip, and under his clothes as he waited to arrive at his floor. He put his hand near the doors and drew it back, feeling the scorch on his palm despite not having actually touched the metal. He stepped back to the middle of the floor and waited, hoping the metal of the machine withstood the heat long enough for him to get out._

_When he arrived at his floor the doors of flew open and he jumped out of the elevator in the knick of time. The screech of it plummeting back to the ground floor was loud in his head and he grit his teeth to keep from panicking about the integrity of the rest of the building beneath his feet. Instead he looked forward at his destination. The office beyond was dark. No workers could be seen and the few windows looking to the outside showed it was night time. He’d arrived in the morning, so how had it become night so quickly? Was he late for his meeting? The fluttering edges of panic pushed at him, but he pushed it aside. He had to figure out what had happened. Where was everyone? He felt his military training kick in and he tried to keep his presence secret until he could ascertain if there was a threat._

_His hand pulled at his side and realized he didn’t have a gun on him. Why would he have a gun? He was here for an interview? He looked down and saw his desert fatigues. He must be on a mission… He walked slowly and cautiously towards the end of the hallway where he could see light from a cracked door. It was the only light on across the spacious cubicle farm that was the middle ground of the floor. When he got there he saw the nameplate on the door read “Mr. Hernandez”. For some reason that name triggered something in his mind and he felt a cold, creeping fear much different than what he’d previously felt start to wash through his veins._

_“Come on in, son,” a male voice called from the office. Alex didn’t know why the voice made his chest tighten painfully, or why his throat was now collapsing in on itself, but it seemed to trigger his ‘flight’ response immediately. He couldn’t leave though. He had to go in and see this man. He was here for a job. Alex turned the corner and stepped into the office slowly, waiting for an attack, trying to tense for any threat that might jump out at him._

_His father was there sitting behind the desk, looking as casual as any Tuesday night dinner at home, a bowl of food in front of him. He was twirling his fork in spaghetti. Alex looked around the room, which seemed to be an ordinary office. There was a desk in the middle of the floor in front of his father, filing cabinets along the walls, chairs for guests to sit upon. The fluorescent lights overhead hummed obnoxiously and the sound felt like it came from the back of his teeth. The one odd thing in the room that he could see was what looked like men’s outfits hung up on hooks all over. He saw causal outfits of t-shirts and board shorts, business suits, and even military outfits. They seemed to cram every inch of free space on the walls, overlapping shoulders and giving the feeling that they were looming. The room seemed darker with them surrounding him despite the fact that they didn’t cover any light sources._

_“Alex, I’m doing this for your own good,” his father spoke up from the desk, still not looking at him but concentrating on continuing to twirl his spaghetti onto his fork. He seemed to just keep twirling, never taking a bite, but loading more and more noodles onto the fork. Alex furrowed his brow in confusion as he watched his single-minded determination with the noodles._

_“What?” Alex asked, mesmerized by the spaghetti on the fork and how it looked like it was getting thicker, starting to look more like worms and then grey and purple ropes or sausages or…. Intestines. Alex felt the gorge rise in his throat as the room changed. The bowl was an open body cavity. His eyes wildly lept around the room looking at the suits which were now filled with the bodies of their owners. He recognized all of the people in them, all of the men he’d let bring him happiness or satisfaction in his secret rendezvouses around the world. Their eyes were all clouded and lifeless, their skin pale and tinged with blue or grey, being held up by the hooks shoved through their chests. He looked down at the table and there was Michael, not dead but screaming. How had he not heard the screaming until now? He was motionless except for his mouth, which was wide open, teeth tinted with blood. Tears and snot were running down his face, into his golden curls, and his eyes showed broken blood vessels from the repeated stress of calling out for help. He saw his hand start to crawl over at the desk towards Alex, reaching for him as his father continued to torture him._

_“What are you doing! Stop this! STOP THIS!” Alex screamed, lunging for the fork in his father’s hand which was still trying to twist up Michael’s guts._

_“Alex!” his father yelled, grabbing his shirt and pulling him face to face over Michael’s body. His eyes were black voids trying to suck him in. The expression was one Alex knew well, was the look he always gave Alex before the worst beatings. “I. am. Doing. This. For. Your. Own. Good.”_

_Then he saw his father’s fist come at him, fork clutched in his hand and Alex felt the piercing pain of the metal in his shoulder, ripping down through his muscle like a very dull knife. He screamed and only noticed that his father was talking to him when he ran out of air to continue screaming._

_“You keep bringing me these depraved men and these sins I have to eat for you. I’m trying to save you from your own vileness, your own evil, aberrant emotions. Look at this mess, Alex, that I have to clean up. You’re going to learn, someday. You’re going to learn to be good if I have to eat every sin you make. I’m doing this for your own good,” he finished and Alex watched horrified as his father pushed past the tear he’d made with the fork from Alex’s shoulder to his sternum. His hand slid under the muscle of his pec and seemed to part his ribs effortlessly. When he touched Alex’s heart, Alex felt the coldness from the lobby, the pain of being violated, and he screamed again, thrashing out with his arms to try and push his father away. He had to get away, had to keep his heart in his chest, had to get away…._

Alex woke up tangled on the floor between his bed and the wall, sweating buckets and shaking. He sat up curled into a ball with his back to the wall while his eyes darted around the dark room. Nobody was there with him. His father was not in the room with him. He was in a hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His father was not going to come get him. He didn’t know about Michael. He didn’t know about any of those men Alex had been with.

Alex waited until his breath calmed down before slowly pulling himself back up onto the bed and turning on the bedside lamp. Buying his face in his hands, he breathed deeply and tried to force his body to calm down. He hated dreams like that, hated feeling his father haunting his thoughts and feelings, hated wondering what it meant to him that his brain would compose such scenes. He also knew he wouldn’t be getting back to sleep anytime soon. Dreams like that had a tendency to linger with him.

He made his way over to his bag and dug around until he found his hoodie. He threw it on and grabbed his crutches. He realized he didn’t know what time it was and turned to check the clock. 4:07 a.m. Sighing, he tried to decide what to do. Part of him wanted to get out of the hotel room and walk around for a little while to clear his head and get some distance from his dreams while the same part hated the idea of being exposed in a town he didn’t know. His interview with Conway wasn’t until 8 a.m. and there was no way he’d be getting any sleep between now and then. He decided to see if Kyle was awake.

**> You up?** **  
****< Kyle> Wrong number for a booty call, bro.** **  
****> Lol. STFU.** **  
****< Kyle> I am up. I am also super unhappy about it. I desperately want to be asleep but I think my body has decided to betray me. Whats up? Why are YOU awake?** **  
****> Nightmare. Want to get coffee? I need to clear my head.** **  
****< Kyle> Ugh. No. No coffee. How about I give you my address and you come over? You can drink my coffee and hang out until I pass out.**

Alex thought about it, chewing his lip as he weighed his options. He looked around the hotel room and thought about ending up alone anyway while Kyle slept.

**> Compromise?** **  
****< Kyle> I’m listening… well, reading… anyway, go on.** **  
****> I’m going to take a bath and see if I can get my body to calm down. How about I call you and talk to you until you fall asleep? That way I’m not stuck at your house alone and I won’t feel pressured to race back to the hotel to get ready for my interview.** **  
****< Kyle> Sure. Sounds good.** **  
****> Give me about 5 min.** **  
  
**

Glad to have a mission, Alex ambled into the bathroom. He sat on the toilet and removed the shower stool out of the bathtub and set it beneath the sink. Hopping onto the side of the tub, he began to run the hot water. When it was warm enough, he closed the drain stopper and grabbed his shower gel, pouring a generous squeeze into the filling tub. Maneuvering back onto the toilet lid, he began to disrobe, tossing his clothes onto the shower stool. He grabbed a towel and threw it on the floor with his phone on top before sitting back on the side of the tub and swinging his body inwards. Using his arms, he slowly lowered his body into the hot water and leaned back with a sigh. The water was only up to about mid-thigh, but the pleasant sting from the heat was already making him feel calmer. 

As soon as the water was high enough to cover his legs, Alex turned off the water and grabbed his phone to call Kyle.

“Hello?” a tired, muffled voice answered after the first ring.

“Oh dude, you sound so tired. You sure this is okay?” Alex asked, laughing a little at how beat his friend sounded. He heard some rustling and then in a much clearer voice, Kyle replied.

“Yeah, yeah it’s fine. But if I start snoring, just hang up,” Kyle answered. Alex could hear the rustle of fabric as Kyle settled into bed. “So tell me about this dream?”

“Ugh,” Alex groaned. He set the phone on speaker and then placed it on the toilet lid before grabbing a rag, soaking it in the hot water and throwing it over his closed eyes. “It was so fucking gross. My dad was the star, of fucking course.”

“Boo! Your dad blows. Why would you dream about that dickwad? Did something set you off?” Kyle asked.

“He called me the other day spewing his regularly scheduled homophobic, abusive bullshit. He threatened to try and sabotage my interview today. Apparently he has an old army buddy who works for the company. It was just… typical Jesse Manes bullshit,” Alex finished on a sigh. Because it was typical of his dad to call and try to psych him out before a big event, whether it be prom or a mission in Iraq.

“Gross. So what happened in the dream?” Kyle prompted again on a yawn.

“In the dream he was waiting for me at the Conway building in an office that I guess I was going to get interviewed in. He was eating spaghetti, but it wasn’t spaghetti. It was like… intestines. It was Michael’s intestines. He had Michael cut open on the desk and he was torturing him. And all along the walls were the bodies of all these guys I’ve slept with or had crushes on or whatever throughout the years. And dad just kept telling me he was doing it for my good,” Alex paused, taking a deep breath before finishing. “And then he stabbed me with a fork and ripped my chest open enough that he could reach in and grab my heart… all while still telling me it was for my own good. It was… awful.”

“It fucking sounds awful,” Kyle lamented. “Does it mean anything, do you think?”

“I think it means I’m stressed out and ready to be done with this interview today. I’ve got another interview on Thursday at a pretty big law firm in town. I’m way more excited about that one.”

“Oh yeah?” Kyle's voice sounded quieter, more unfocused. Alex decided to continue talking.

“Yeah. Conway is going to be government contracted security stuff. I’m not really into the idea of playing with the government anymore, but a job’s a job. Get one and suddenly others are more likely to come calling. The law firm would be more research and some cyber security, maybe even a little hacking, which I think would be pretty fun. It would have some variety to it. I—”

“Wait,” Kyle’s voice cut him off, sounding marginally more alert. “How are you going to have an interview on Thursday? Aren’t you leaving later today? Are you going to drive all the way back up here tomorrow?!”

“No, no. Michael, uh… Michael apparently manages from AirBnB’s around town and he’s going to let me stay in one of them tomorrow and Thursday night. Then Friday after he gets off work we’re going to go on an overnight camping trip,” Alex admitted, feeling a little embarrassed about how much time he was spending with this new guy in his life.

“Damn, you must really like him, Manes. You never give anyone this much of your time,” Kyle commented, still sounding half asleep. “I’m happy for you. Someday, when I’m not dead, I’d like to meet him.”

“Yeah, yeah. Of course,” Alex agreed airily. That felt like a bigger step then he was willing to make after only a week though. “But yeah, I really do like him. I’m just afraid he won’t live up to how much I like him once the honeymoon is over.”

“The honeymoon?”

“Yeah, you know, that initial period with someone when you’re all crazy about each other and everything they do is idyllic and even their morning breath is adorable. The honeymoon. What if he’s not what I think he is?”

“Then you either adapt to reality or you break it off.”

“God, I hope that’s not in my future,” Alex said, pulling the now cold rag from his eyes and dipping it back into the water.

“Me too, bro. Me too. You deserve good things. Good, warm, cuddly, sleepy, wonderful things,” Kyle sighed. Alex waited a beat, knowing what that particular sigh meant. This wasn’t Kyle's first late night phone call to talk him down from some mental downturn.

“Kyle?” he asked quietly. Only breathing greeted him on the other end of the line. Alex smiled softly to himself, happy his friend was able to get some sleep finally. “Goodnight, Kyle.”

Alex hit the ‘end’ button and started up Spotify, turning it to a relaxation mix. He laid the rewarmed washcloth over his eyes and sank further into the hot water, letting it eek out some of the stress his body was trying to hoard in his muscles.

\---

Alex was extremely happy to find that though the Conway Security building did have glass double doors for their entry way, the inside was nothing like his dream. The ground floor was open and airy, with walls of windows to let in natural light. He could see clear across the lobby to the other four corners of the building. When he got into the elevator, the air felt cool and piano music filtered through the speakers. On the third floor where Mr. Danzig’s office was, there was a nice reception area with a beautiful dark-haired secretary out front. 

“May I help you?” she asked, batting her lashes at him and smiling at him like he was a snack she could have if she wanted.

“Here to see Mr. Danzig. Alex Manes,” he replied, smiling politely, but trying to impress upon her that he wasn’t interested by refusing to maintain eye contact. He darted a look around the room and when his eyes returned to hers, she looked a little taken aback, but quickly regained her footing.

“I’ll let him know you’re here. Have a seat, Mr. Manes, it’ll be a few minutes,” she replied, waving him over to the three club chairs perpendicular to her desk like she was showing a prize on a game show. He smiled again and nodded, turning and picking the chair closest to the elevator. He had his messenger bag with him that held a copy of his resume’ and cover letter. He tried to assess the office from what he could see in the waiting room. Upscale, but nice. It seemed as friendly as a security firm could afford to be. After a few minutes, a man opened the door leading into the back office and stepped into the room, holding the door open with his foot. He looked over at Alex and smiled.

“Alex Manes?” he asked, as if there were anyone else in the room besides the receptionist to guess from. Alex girded himself and stood, hand outstretched for a handshake.

“Yes, sir. How are you today?” Alex asked politely. The man was early fifties, dark tan skin, black hair with streaks of grey, and built like a powder keg.

“Good, good. I’m Jorge Danzig. Come on back to my office, we’re going to chat for a bit,” Mr. Danzig explained after letting go of Alex’s hand. He turned and began walking swiftly down a long corridor of cubicle walls and office doors. Alex kept up as best as his leg would let him and knew he’d be regretting it later. At the end of the hallway, Mr. Danzig opened the door and let Alex into his office, a corner spot with windows all around. His computer had a screen shield on it, Alex was happy to note, since it was facing the large picture windows.

They sat across the desk from one another and the next hour of Alex’s life was consumed with questions about his experience with computers, his experiences in the military, his honorable discharge and all other manner of inane things. When he was finally shaking hands with Mr. Danzig and walking back onto the elevator, he felt like a part of his brain had just been bored to sleep. He could tell that this job would be exactly as the interview had and he really hoped the interview with the law firm gave him a better feeling.

As soon as he got into the warm New Mexico sunshine, he turned his phone back off of ‘Do Not Disturb’ and checked his messages. He had one from Kyle wishing him luck on the interview and apologizing for falling asleep on the phone with him, and one from Michael. He tried not to pay too much attention to how his stomach fluttered a little at seeing Michael’s name pop up on his phone. He thumbed open the message to read:

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Hey darlin’! Hope the interview went as well as you expected. I’ve got class until about 4. I know you’ll be checked out by then, I’m sorry I couldn’t get away sooner. Midterms are approaching and I can’t do that to my students.** **  
****< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Anyway, if you want we can do lunch? Or I can go ahead and take you to the house then. Dealer’s choice.**

Alex smiled and thought about it. He didn’t have to be out of the hotel room until around noon and it was only nine in the morning. He might go back and pack up his stuff and hang around for a bit.

**> Hey there. Interview went well, but I’m not sure I’d be able to make it more than a year at this place if I accepted the position. I’m pretty sure I’m dumber for having sat through the interview.** **  
****> It’d be awesome if we could just grab some lunch on-the-go and go to the house. I can meet you near campus somewhere?**

He pushed his phone back into his back pocket and made his way down the block to where he’d parked his Explorer. He didn’t expect Michael to answer him right away so he drove back to the hotel while listening to the radio. Albuquerque was a nice city, he thought as he avoided the highway and tried to remember how to get back to his hotel without a map. It wasn’t huge and he knew he’d get bored of it eventually, but right then it seemed charming without it’s overt attractions.

At a stoplight he felt his pocket vibrating and shifted around to pull the phone out of his back pocket. Glancing down at the display he saw that it was Michael texting. The light changed and Alex threw the phone over into the passenger’s seat in order to pay attention while driving. He was pretty great at multitasking, but Michael tended to be quite distracting. Once he finally made it back to the hotel and parked in the garage he sat in his car and opened the text before hopping out.

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> There’s a place closer to the house we can meet at called D’Addario’s. It’s an Italian place that does great quick bites. Meet there around 11?** **  
****> Sure, sounds good.** **  
  
**

Alex hopped out of the car and hoofed it back to his hotel room. He was a fairly efficient packer since dirty clothes didn’t deserve to be refolded in his book, but he had to figure out what he was going to do with his gift basket from Kyle. He did not want to carry that monstrosity through the lobby and he didn’t think all that crap would fit in his duffle alongside his clothes and toiletries. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to try and load it all into one of the complimentary plastic laundry bags the hotel provided since they tended to be tissue paper parading as plastic. Alex briefly had a horrifying vision of one of the plastic bags falling apart in front of a family of young children, the anal plug rolling quickly towards a toddler while he and the parents looked on horrified.

He slipped into his room and surveyed the mess of his belongings strewn around. He had no idea how he always managed to look like he’d been living somewhere a month in only a few days, but even the military couldn’t completely cure him of his organized chaos. Shaking his head at himself, he sighed and went to look at his duffle. If he broke his own cardinal rule of not refolding dirty clothes, he might be able to fit some of the more embarrassing sex implements into the side pockets and between the layers. Some of the stuff he’d have to find a different way to transport. He picked up the hotel room phone and called down to the front desk.

“Front desk, Natalie speaking,” a professional female voice answered.

“Hello Natalie. This is Alex Manes in 329. Do you know if the gift shop sells any totes or bags of any sort?” Alex asked as politely as he could. He could feel sweat starting to gather at his temples from nerves. He knew she would have no clue what he needed the bag for, but then again… had the woman who dropped it off told everyone about the insane basket she’d had to deliver to his room? Was he back office gossip?

“Mr. Manes! I’d be glad to help you. I believe our gift shop carries a few clear reusable totes and some smaller athletic style backpacks. You know the kind that shoe companies give out with the drawstring made of cord? Would either of those be of interest to you?” she asked, her familiarity with his names making him feel like he’d just confirmed his fear.

“Uh… sure. How big are the backpacks?” he asked, eyeing the bulkier items on the table.

“Hm… I think they’re a little smaller than a school backpack. I’m looking at our computer inventory and they’re $12.99 apiece. We have a couple different ones in stock, but they’re basically the same model with different designs on the fabric,” she explained. He could hear her hands typing on the keyboard as she apparently looked through their inventory system.

“Is there any way you can have someone send two of them up to my room? You can charge them to my account.”

“Sure! Any preference of color or anything that you absolutely don’t want?” she asked brightly.

“No, just whatever you have. I’m not picky. Thank you so much, Natalie,” he said sincerely, thankful he didn’t have to run downstairs.

“My pleasure, Mr. Manes. Can I help you with anything else?” she asked, still as polite as ever.

“No, that’s it. Thanks again,” he replied.

“Okie dokie, then. Have a great day, Mr. Manes. I’ll send up one of our associates with your bags within the next twenty minutes,” she informed him before they hung up. He put the phone back down on the receiver and sighed in relief. He took in a deep, fortifying breath and decided to start to tackle packing. First, he started by grabbing his dirty clothes off the floor and rolling them into tight balls before transferring them to his nearly empty duffel. He thought briefly about changing clothes before packing everything, but he could always do it at the rental. Flicking his eyes at his reflection in the full length mirror next to the bathroom, he smiled a little smugly. Kyle had helped him pick out the suit as soon as he’d been discharged so he’d have something nice for interviews. It was a tan linen three piece that he wore with a cream button down decorated with miniscule dark brown and turquoise paisley swirls. When he took off the jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to expose his forearms, according to Kyle and the sales clerk, who went a little slack jawed when Alex stepped out of the dressing room, he looked like a “thirst trap”. He had a dark brown tie that went with it, but that and the jacket would get hung back up in his hanger bag because no matter how attractive he wanted to be when he saw Michael later that day, he wasn’t going to suffer heat exhaustion or asphyxiation in order to achieve it.

A knock at the door sounded shortly after he’d finished collecting all of his toiletries from the bathroom and he hurried to answer it. He let out an internal sigh of relief that it wasn’t the same woman who’d had to deliver the gift basket. She smiled and held out the two backpacks. He looked down at them and noted that they were definitely meant for children. One was blue with a picture of Dory from Finding Nemo on the front and the other was green and covered in bubble-style dinosaurs.

“Is everything alright?” the girl asked when he didn’t take the bags from her immediately. He wondered if there were some moral hell he would be sentenced to for putting a butt plug in a bag with a beloved children’s character adorning the front.

“Uh, no. No, these are great, thanks!” he rushed to say, reaching out and getting the bags from her. She eyed him with a slightly concerned expression on her face, but kept her professional smile in place.

“Okay. Well, have a nice day!” she chirped, swinging around and walking back towards the elevator. Alex muttered a goodbye and let the door slip closed. He stared at the bags in mild horror and then looked at the items on the table.

“Maybe I won’t go to hell if I put the worst stuff with the dinosaurs,” he muttered to himself, dropping the Dory bag onto the chair and opening the dinosaur bag to start stuffing items into it.

\---

At 11:08, Alex walked into the Italian café Michael had directed him to. He’d gotten lost on the way over and spent far too long stubbornly trying to get back on the main street to his destination before he had to pull up a map on his car’s GPS system. He hated being late and walked through the restaurant feeling flustered and looking around for Michael. He’d texted that he was sitting in the back courtyard seating area and Alex had to scan twice to find the door leading that way. He found Michael sitting at a small black iron table, looking amazing in black button down and dark grey jeans. He scowled when he saw Alex approach the table and Alex felt his throat tighten with anxiety. Michael must really not like when people were late. He pulled out the chair across from Michael and sat down, already opening his mouth to apologize when Michael stopped him by speaking first.

“How dare you,” Michael said, voice low and a little threatening. Alex stiffened and paused on the edge of his seat, watching Michael warily.

“I’m sorry. I got lost,” he apologized, feeling a little guarded and not quite sure the severity of Michael’s tone was warranted for the minor level of offense given. He watched Michael lean forward on the table, hands held tight together on the tabletop as he looked Alex up and down.

“How dare you come in here looking like that,” Michael said quietly, eyes seeming to scorch as they traced over his body. Alex’s breath caught in his throat as he dared to think he heard arousal lacing around Michael’s stern admonition.

“Looking like what, exactly?” Alex asked, leaning forward to mirror Michael and pinning him with a look that he hoped Michael took to be flirty.

“Like a fucking wet dream. Do you know how bad I want to drag you into that bathroom over there and blow your mind, right now? You’re killing me, Alex,” he finished, half standing from his chair so he could kiss Alex hard on the mouth. Alex melted into it, a small hum of satisfaction bubbling up from his throat, as he felt Michael’s hands come up to hold his head and keep their lips pressed together. When they parted, Alex was breathless and he knew his face was flushed and lips slightly swollen from the attention.

“I’m glad you like the suit,” Alex replied with a grin when they drew away back to their seats. Michael chuckled and shook his head, looking at Alex over his menu, and licking his lips contemplatively.

“I’d say you just unlocked a new kink of mine, but I’ve always appreciated well-dressed men. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen one who looked quite as good as you do, though.” Alex blushed a little and smiled down at the lunch menu, trying to clear his mind enough to decide what besides Michael he was feeling hungry for. His eyes scanned over the Quick Bites section and he bit his thumb while weighing his options.

“Al-lex,” Michael intoned, sounding fond but exasperated. Alex looked up and raised an eyebrow in question. Michael was grinning at him, a soft expression on his face as he pointedly looked between Alex’s eyes and the thumb he still held between his teeth. Alex dropped his hand, blushing furiously, but pleased at the naked lust he saw on Michael’s face. “You’re seriously killing me. We could skip lunch, ya know? There’s always dinner.”

“I don’t know, I kinda like this desperate side of you. I like the idea of you going back to work half hard all day thinking about how good I looked right now and all the things you want to do to me,” Alex teased, casually leaning back in his chair and rubbing his thumb over his lips as he watched Michael watching him. Michael’s eyes seemed to dilate as he watched Alex’s thumb and then he seemed to come back to himself with a small start. Alex watched him reach over and grab his cowboy hat out of the empty seat to his side and stand up. He started to walk towards the exit, grabbing Alex’s hand and pulling him up and with him.

“It’s like five minutes to the house from here. I’ll get a pizza delivered to you later,” Michael voice said as it traveled back to him from where he was leading Alex through the restaurant to his car. When they got to the Explorer, Michael pressed Alex up against the driver’s side door and kissed him passionately. He was drowning in how turned on he was at Michael’s desperation for him and relishing the weight of Michael pressing against him. A car horn blared making Alex jump and break their kiss. Michael groaned and rested his forehead against Alex’s collar.

“Fuck. Okay, I’m parked across the street and about half a block up. See the truck?” he asked, his voice quiet. Alex turned to scan the street and felt Michael’s mouth on his neck. His eyes slipped closed for a moment before he remembered they were on a busy street in the middle of the day. He did _not_ want to go to jail for indecency. He spotted Michael’s car and let out a croaked “Yes”.

“Okay. I’m going to go get my car and I’ll lead you to the house. Then I’m going to get you out of this suit using just my teeth,” he growled the last couple words, making Alex shiver.

“Deal,” Alex agreed as Michael pushed himself away, looking Alex up and down again and biting his lip before turning and jogging across the street and up towards his car. Alex took a deep steadying breath and slipped into the driver’s seat. He turned on the car and checked his mirrors, then pulled out and followed Michael’s truck for about two blocks until he saw Michael pull up in front of a small, modern adobe two-story with a walled off back yard. He pulled into the driveway and parked, popping the back hatch before getting out and walking towards the back. Michael met him there, grabbing his duffle and crutches while letting Alex get the two smaller backpacks. He led Alex up to the front door which was on the second story of the house and typed in a code into the PIN pad next to the door. Alex heard the door lock disengage and Michael turned the knob and pushed through, letting a blast of cool air out. Alex followed him and pushed the door shut behind him.

Michael set down his bag by the hall tree and leaned his crutches against the wall, then plucked the two backpacks from Alex’s hands and set them down beside the duffle. Alex was looking around the house with interest. It had a warm beige, mahogany, and brick red color palette. It was an open floor design with the main area having no walls between the living room, dining room, and kitchen. There was a breakfast island by the kitchen. The ceilings were high despite it being on the second floor and the ceiling fans were already whirring softly above them. He felt Michael’s hands on his hips pressing him back against the door and then Michael’s mouth was back on his neck. He leaned his head back to give him better access and shut his eyes, smiling at the warm, wet heat of his mouth.

“I’m beginning to think you have a thing for my neck,” Alex said, even as he felt Michael’s fingers begin to slip the buttons on his vest.

“If you think it’s just your neck, I need to work on my communication skills,” Michael huffed, pulling back so he could capture Alex’s lips with his in a searing kiss. Alex’s toes curled in his brown leather oxfords and the tight briefs he wore started to feel tighter by the second. He found himself grabbing Michael’s sides and pulling his body into his again, trapping Michael’s hands between them. Alex let his hands roam over Michael’s waist and back, down to his glorious ass and then up to tangle in his curls. Michael finally managed to slip his hands out from between them only to lay them flat on the door to either side of Alex’s head, making him feel gloriously caged in by Michael’s body.

“How long do you have?” Alex asked when he could manage to convince himself to break from Michael’s mouth. He’d had to ask it while holding Michael’s earlobe with his teeth, his body feeling too desperate to stop trying to devour Michael’s flesh just to ask a simple question. He heard Michael grunt and felt his head turn to presumably look at his watch. Alex took the opportunity to unbutton a few of his top buttons and smooth the material away from his chest, his fingers running through the soft dark blonde hair. Michael’s eyes were closed, a look of intense concentration on his face as Alex let one hand drift down to caress Michael on the outside of his jeans, impressed at how hard he already was just from making out. A loud breath came from Michael’s nose even as he pushed his hips forward, pressing himself harder against Alex’s hand. Alex continued to knead Michael’s hard on as he leaned forward and repeated his question. “How long, Michael?”

“Fuck,” Michael exploded through clenched teeth. He turned and looked at Alex, his eyes a little wild and his lip caught between his teeth. “Not long enough,” he breathed.

He looked apologetic as he reached between them and moved Alex’s hands off him. Alex felt disappointed, but knew it wasn’t like skipping class for students. This was Michael’s livelihood and he had to be an adult despite how much they wanted to act like teenagers. Michael took a half step back, but still leaned forward to kiss Alex again. His kiss was more slow and less heated than before, a kiss to let him know exactly how much he regretted reality right then. Alex reached out and caught Michael’s hands in his, lacing their fingers together.

“It’s okay. There’s always dinner, right?” Alex asked when they broke away. Michael nodded and sighed disconsolately.

“Yeah. But I’ve got that stupid meeting after dinner. It’ll probably run pretty late,” Michael admitted, looking down at their joined hands.

“That’s okay. My interview isn’t until later in the afternoon tomorrow so I can stay up a little late if you want to come over after,” Alex said shyly. He felt a little strange about asking Michael over that late because it definitely sounded like he wanted them to stay the whole night together…and while he absolutely did, it just felt a little fast to be suggesting it. Michael seemed to read his reticence.

“Let’s just see how late it ends up being. I still have to get up and work on Friday,” he replied, giving them both an out. Alex nodded, finally looking up and meeting Michael’s eyes.

“Sounds good,” he said, happy to hear that his voice sounded normal. Michael gave him a fond look for a moment before turning and looking towards the back of the house.

“I have got to go to the restroom before I head in,” he said, dispelling their awkward moment. Alex let go of his hands and watched him walk towards a hallway off the kitchen that seemed to lead to presumably a bedroom, a bathroom, and perhaps some stairs to the first floor. Sighing, he stepped away from the door finally and went to the kitchen area. He opened cabinets until he found the water glasses and grabbed one, filling it, and then sipping slowly. His body was still buzzing from their activity. He started to turn around to continue looking around the house when he heard the distinct click of the safety being taken off a gun.

“Who the hell are you?” a gruff female voice asked from somewhere behind him. Alex froze, his heart immediately jumping to his throat for a second before his soldier’s training kicked in. He took a slow breath in and moved his hands out away from his body so she could see them. He put the glass down on the counter before raising both hands above his head, fingers splayed.

“Turn around slowly,” he heard the woman say again. He slowly turned, keeping his hands up and not stopping until his body was facing hers. She was older, perhaps in her early seventies. Her skin was deeply tanned and deeply grooved and wrinkled. Her grey hair was short, almost severely so, and she wore the clothes of a rancher. Her shirt was blue plaid cotton and looked well-kept but worn thin and soft with age. Her pants were the thick khaki denim of someone expected to ride horses or wade through thorny brush. Her boots were dusty and well worn. Her body was rounded with age, but she didn’t strike Alex as someone who was physically weak in any way. And she had a rifle trained at Alex’s head that he had no doubt she could and would kill him with. “I repeat, who the hell are you?”

“MAMA!” Michael exclaimed, his voice forcing out excitement even though it was edged with panic. He bounded into the room, loose limbed and suddenly seeming somehow younger to Alex. The woman didn’t take the gun off Alex, just smiled a little. Alex could not believe this woman was Michael’s mother. The only thing about their features that were halfway in common was that they were both Caucasian.

“Mikey, who’s your friend?” she asked, her hard edged voice gruff, but somehow indulgent. Her eyes never strayed from Alex’s even though he could see the subtle shift in her body towards Michaels.

“Mama Brenda, this is Alex Manes. I was going to let him stay here for a couple nights. He just got out of the Air Force and had an interview pop up in town unexpectedly a day after he was supposed to go back home,” Michael explained, sidling between Alex and the woman. Mama Brenda, apparently. The name made Alex feel a little easier that this wasn’t really Michael’s mother.

“Oh? Manes, huh? You related to Jesse Manes up in Roswell?” Brenda asked (Alex refused to call her ‘Mama’ anything, even silently). Ales swallowed, suddenly feeling very nervous about his chances of getting out of this without a bullet hole. Was this some set up of his father’s? How well did Brenda and his dad know each other? Would she mention him next time they spoke?

“Yes ma’am. He’s my father,” he replied truthfully. He watched her scrutinize him for a minute, eyes narrowed as she took in his appearance. He didn’t really look much like his father, taking most of his features from his mother’s Native American genes, but there must’ve been something that convinced her because she put the safety back on the rifle and lowered it.

“Sorry about that, son. I didn’t know Mikey was inviting guests to stay,” she said, throwing Michael a reproving look. Alex didn’t really like the way she looked at Michael, her eyes lingering on him like a favored pet. He also hated hearing her call him ‘Mikey’. It sounded so juvenile for someone almost 30 to be called ‘Mikey’. Michael looked abashed, seeming to ham up his shame at being caught.

“I’m sorry Mama Brenda. I knew there weren't any guests staying the next couple days and I was just trying to help out a friend,” he said, his voice taking on a strange childish quality as he spoke. Alex felt like there was a subtext here that he was not sure he was comfortable with. He was still trying to determine how they knew each other, what their relationship was, and why she seemed one minute to treat him like a child and the next to openly appraise him like a snack.

“Always easier for you to ask for forgiveness than permission, isn’t it Mikey?” she asked, smiling like she was remembering something dirty but sweet. “Guess I’ll just have to take it out on your hide, won’t I?”

Alex gagged a little as he watched Michael smile conspiratorially with the old woman. He was swinging his body slightly, hands held in front of him, and for all the world acting like a kid getting a talking to from his mom when he didn’t feel the least bit guilty. What was going on? Had Alex stepped into the Twilight Zone?

“Did you need the house, Mama? I can just take Alex to my place. I just thought it might be nice for him to have some space to get mentally prepared for his interview tomorrow,” Michael asked. Brenda’s indulgent smile faded as she turned her attention back to Alex. Her look towards him told him she was still trying to suss out who he was to Michael also.

“Who’s your interview with, Alex?” she asked, seeming to decide he was no immediate threat and setting her gun against the side of the kitchen island.

“Juarez, Estefan and Prince Law Firm. I was a codebreaker for the military, so I’m pretty good at cyber security,” he explained. He wasn’t going to dumb down for this lady, even if Michael had decided to act like a child to gain her sympathy. She nodded and looked impressed.

“That’s a great firm. My husband uses them for our business contracts. I’ll give them a call and put in a good word for you,” she said before seeming to dismiss him from her mind. He wished she wouldn’t. She turned back to Michael.

“Alright, honey. I’m going to let you boys hang out here. You and I, mister” she paused, pointing at Michael in mock threat even as she smiled lasciviously at him, “are going to need to have a talk tomorrow night. It’s about time for our monthly appointment anyway. We’ll just move it up a week. We’ll talk about your behavior then.”

Michael looked dutifully chastened, head lowered and arms going behind his back as he nodded. She looked at him covetously for another minute, before turning brusquely away and picking her gun back up.

“Nice to meet you, Alex. Good luck on your interview,” she called as she left through the front door. They both seemed to be frozen until they heard her car start up in the driveway and pull away. Alex turned to look at Michael, his face shocked at what had just happened. Michael looked like he’d just sucked on a lemon as he straightened his posture and seemed to be in possession of himself again.

“What and who was that?” Alex asked, pointing at the door Brenda had just left through. Michael sighed and ran his hands through his hair, making the wild curls go fluffy.

“That was Brenda,” he said, looking at Alex like he was expecting him to bolt for the door. When Alex stayed still, he continued, “She owns the house. I didn’t expect her to be in town until next week.”

“Okay,” Alex replied slowly, trying to figure out how to ask his next question without sounding as judgmental as he felt. “What’s the whole ‘mama’ thing about?”

“Oh, that’s just her thing. I’ve known her for almost ten years. She gave me my first job when I came to Albuquerque and has helped me get a few others since so she likes to think of herself as my caretaker,” Michael says, shrugging like it’s no big deal. He couldn’t completely hide his reluctance to talk about her though and Alex couldn’t shake the feeling there were layers he wasn’t being shown. He knew that was Michael’s business, however, and not his. He hadn’t exposed every part of his past to Michael either.

“Okay. Well, she seems nice then,” Alex offered a little lamely. She seemed creepy and possessive, but if she’d helped Michael out then maybe that was just Alex’s take on her.

“Yeah,” Michael agreed a little half-heartedly. “Look, if you don’t want to stay here, I really can just let you stay with me or at one of the other rentals.”


	7. Photographic Evidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex learns to take sexy selfies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of a weird one. It's 70% smut I'm pretty sure (if you're surprised, I'm surprised). I just am not sure about where I left it, but the next logical spot to stop it would've made it a 12k chapter and like... I like you guys, okay? I wouldn't do that to you. 
> 
> This chapter is unbeta'd because the Big Bang is upon us and my beta's are minding their own business this week (which i'm 1000% fine with because man have we gotten some AMAZING stories so far out of it). So in short, all mistakes are my own.

Alex woke with water dripping on his nose. He opened his eyes slowly wondering when it had started to rain and then felt his heart leap into his throat when two huge hazel eyes were staring back at him from about a foot away. He thrashed and felt his body start to slip off the recliner seat in the hot tub and into the deep well in the middle. A strong hand grasped his shoulder and kept him from falling into the deeper water and his brain finally started to fully awaken. He looked over at Michael who was laughing good naturedly at Alex’s reaction. He looked so carefree and handsome that Alex couldn’t stop himself from grabbing Michael’s collar to pull him down to him. Alex kissed him like he was oxygen before backing off and gently letting him go to slip back into a reclining position, the water sloshing around his movements as he settled back. Michael looked down at him a little dazed from the kiss and distinctly speckled with darkening water spots. 

“You scared the crap out of me,” Alex chided, watching Michael shake off the dazed expression he’d adopted after the kiss. Michael looked down and smiled softly at him, leaning over to rest his chin on his hands along the edge of the tub. He pouted his lips and gave Alex sad, puppy dog eyes in mock apology, before grinning impishly at him. 

“I know. It was awesome,” he chuckled. Alex scoffed and flicked a wet hand at him, making droplets land on his cheeks and chin. Still chuckling, Michael wiped off his face before standing up. He grabbed Alex’s wine glass and held it up to eye level before shooting Alex a smirk and cocked eyebrow. “Rose’ all day?”

“It was that or Chardonnay and I am VERY picky about Chardonnay,” Alex replied loftily, tilting his head so that his nose stuck up in the air. Scoffing, Michael took a sip of the wine and smacked his lips in overdramatic appreciation. Alex noticed that there were decorative string lights lit up across the underside of the porch over the bar area. Glancing at the sky, he frowned to himself. 

“What time is it?” Alex asked, wishing his phone wasn’t so far away on the picnic table. 

“It's only about 6 pm. I’m not meeting up with Carolyn, my other property owner, until 9. She has a dinner meeting with the Junior League. Probably won’t get away from her until around 1. Still want me to drop by after?” Michael asked, running his fingers through Alex’s hair as he talked. Alex leaned his head back further and enjoyed the feeling of Michael’s fingers dragging along his scalp and gently pulling his hair. He was pretty sure if he could purr, he would be. Alex watched through slitted eyes as Michael took another sip of his wine and waited for him to answer. He weighed the options in his mind, wondering how to sound cool and casual while battling the part of him that felt instantly clingy around the best thing to happen to him in a long time.

“It’s up to you. I’d love to see you, but I can wait. Just shoot me a text to let me know when you get home,” Alex replied finally, feeling like he’d hit a good balance. Michael watched him, as if trying to gauge how honest he was being, but continued to comb his fingers through Alex’s hair. Alex started to feel like he could go back to sleep any time. There was something meditative about having his hair played with. He didn’t have memories of his mom doing it, but Kyle’s mom would if he used her lap as a pillow when they’d watch movies growing up.

“Okay,” Michael finally replied as he bent to capture Alex’s lips with his. He could taste the wine on Michael’s tongue and it made a fission of heat start in his belly. One of Michael’s hands dipped below the water to splay over his ribs, his thumb rubbing small circles over one of Alex’s nipples. Alex found himself sitting up so he could get a better angle to deepen the kiss between them, his hands coming out of the water to hold either side of Michael’s neck, water dripping off his elbows as he chased the neverending thrill of Michale’s mouth on his. Michael’s hand smoothed over the muscles of Alex’s stomach, dipping further into the warm water until he found Alex’s lack of proper swimming attire.

“Alex,” he whispered in a scandalized tone, lips brushing with Alex’s while he grinned against his skin. Michael took hold of him under water and started a slow, slick rhythm until Alex was fully hard and panting against his cheek.

“Fuck, Michael,” he gasped as Michael’s wrist twisted and squeezed on an upstroke and Alex felt his body jolt with the exquisite feel of it.

“You want to come for me? I can feel how much you need to,” Michael commented as Alex started to cling to him, whimpering softly from the torture of the patient, measured pace Michael was using on him and the way his thumb caught on the sensitive spot under his cock head on the upstroke. It still wasn’t enough though. He didn’t think he could come like that, the pace a little too slow to really work him into orgasm, but the buildup of need in his body was making him feel wild and unhinged. He dug his fingers into Michael’s biceps as another wave of desire washed through him.

“Michael, please! I need—” he gasped, lips scratching over the stubble of Michael’s cheek, the sting feeling just as good as Michael’s hand on him.

“What do you need, baby?” Michael asked, voice low in Alex’s ear as he picked up the pace of his strokes. The increased stimulation made a small cry of desperation mixed with relief fall out of Alex as he buried his head against the smooth fabric of Michael’s shirt. He’d squeezed his eyes shut, his jaw starting to clench and unclench as he concentrated on letting his body chase the pleasure. Alex was trembling, small eruptions of muscle movement rocking him, and he was shaking his head against Michael’s shoulder trying to catch his breath as his body chased his finish. It felt too far away, but Alex was desperate to get there. 

“Want me to talk you through it?” Michael asked before biting softly at the skin of Alex’s jaw. “Do you need something else? My mouth? My ass? God, do you know how hard it was to teach today? All I could think about was how badly I wanted to gag on your cock at lunch. How I want you to get your fingers in me and make me come with your mouth and hands and me stuffed full. How I want to bend you over every piece of furniture in this house and hold you down and stuff you full of my c—”

The orgasm hit him so hard Alex let out a surprised, almost pained yell before his stomach was curling forward and his vision went white for a second. Michael was milking him through his orgasm, hold softened and pace slowing again, until Alex reached down and grabbed his wrist to stop him. He was breathing like he’d just held his breath and did sprint drills. His body was tingling everywhere, every nerve ending feeling alive. He also felt stupid and cum drunk. He wanted to get out of the water and lie around enjoying the euphoria that had settled into his muscles. Michael’s head dipped as he tipped Alex’s chin back so he could kiss him lightly. Alex hummed in appreciation and languidly he opened his eyes and met Michael’s lust blown pupils. Alex swallowed thickly at the desire he could see there and he bit his lip to keep from attacking Michael’s mouth again with his own. 

“Climb out onto the side of the tub for me,” Michael asked in a husky whisper. With effort Alex complied, legs opening automatically to frame Michael’s waist after he was sitting on the side of the tub. The air was cooling now that the sun was down and Alex gave a shiver as goosebumps erupted over his naked body. “Now hold on.”

Alex let out an unmanly yelp as Michael lifted him, hands firm under his thighs, and he started to walk them both up the stairs back to the main house. Alex had no clue how he was doing it. Alex wasn’t heavy by any means, but he wasn’t light either and Michael, while perfectly defined for Alex’s tastes, wasn’t a bodybuilder. He couldn’t deny that the part of him that wasn’t currently worried about being dropped was turned on as Hell. He squeezed his thighs around Michael’s middle just to test out how it felt.

“Where are you taking me?” Alex asked, leaning back a little to see Michael’s face.

“To the living room so we can wait for the pizza,” Michael responded, smirking. Alex could feel his hard on as they slowly made their way through the house towards the couch and he itched to get his hands on it. He wanted to make Michael feel just as good as he’d just felt.

“I’d forgotten we’d ordered food,” Alex commented as they entered the living room.

“I can’t imagine why,” Michael teased with a wry smile. He bent and put one knee on the couch so he could lower Alex onto the cushions. Alex let himself fall against the overstuffed leather pillows, but kept his legs open as Michael stood back up. He was more aware of his vulnerability now that Michael was standing over him, eyes traveling up and down his body like he was a buffet and he was trying to figure out what to try first.

“You should ride my face,” Alex suggested, already scooting his body down on the couch as he thought about how much he wanted Michael to agree. He might have already come, but the idea of having Michael above him chasing his own pleasure while Alex’s tongue was buried in his ass made his body want to give a valiant attempt at going again.

“That sounds amazing, but I think for that I’d need to go take a quick shower and the app says our pizza is about five minutes away,” Michael said, sounding far too reasonable. He was still smiling, obviously amused by how fucked out Alex still sounded.

“Michaaaeeel,” Alex whined, holding out his arms and beckoning Michael closer. He obliged, moving until his legs rested against the edge of the couch. Alex did a half crunch up until he could hook his fingers in the front pockets of Michael’s jeans. With a grin and a half hearted tug, he pulled Michael onto the couch where he straddled either side of Alex’s hips.

“You’re so needy,” Michael teased, letting his hand trace down the side of Alex’s face. Alex nodded, biting his lip and looking up at Michael coyly. He smoothed his hands up Michael’s jean covered thighs and reached for the button in the middle. It’d barely slipped out of it’s catch when the doorbell rang. Alex groaned in frustration, dropping his hands to the side and letting Michael climb off of him. Alex was very glad he was hidden by the back of the couch while he waited to hear the door shut.

As soon as the door shut, Alex sat up into a sitting position on the couch and watched Michael bring over the pizza box. He set it on the coffee table in front of Alex with a flourish.

“You can go ahead and dig in. I’m going to run downstairs and grab your things from the courtyard and possibly that wine,” he said, already walking down the hall towards the stairway. Alex watched him go regretfully, wishing he’d been able to get his hands on him. Checking the clock though, he knew there probably wasn’t enough time to really have any more fun and eat before he had to leave for his meeting. They’d skipped lunch after all and Alex’s mouth was now watering for something hot, cheesy, and utensil free.

By the time Michael had returned, he was already halfway through his first slice. He smiled when he saw that Alex hadn’t waited on him.

“Is it good?” Michael asked, setting down Alex’s prosthetic on the floor next to him and his other things on the chair nearby.

“’s so good,” Alex said past his mouthful of food. Michael sat next to him and poured Alex a fresh glass of wine before handing it over and getting his own piece.

“Ugh, you’re right,” Michael said after his first bite, groaning in appreciation. “Fuck, I always forget how good pizza is until I’m having it and then I wonder why I eat anything else.”

“Right?” Alex agreed, setting down his piece to take a sip of his wine.

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes getting the worst of their hunger out of the way.Michael went easy on the wine, but Alex found he liked the rose’ the more he had of it. He was on his third glass by the time he was too full to continue. 

“So, you should feel free to text me tonight while I’m out,” Michael commented, looking over the leftover pieces of pizza for his next choice.

“Oh? It won’t bug you?” Alex asked, setting his wine glass down and watching Michael eat.

“No, no… in fact, if you wanted to send me something that might inspire me to get a little less sleep tonight, I wouldn’t be upset,” he said, flashing Alex a suggestive grin before continuing, “Of course you don’t have to. I have a great memory and a pretty damn well-honed imagination. But if you get bored and you find yourself feeling ‘artistic’…”

“Want me to pose like one of your French girls, Jack?” Alex teased and watched Michael for his reaction. He just smiled shyly and shrugged.

“If you want to. If you don’t, no harm. You can still just text me and tell me about what you’re watching on TV or reading or whatever,” he responded, grabbing Alex’s knee and squeezing it lightly. Alex shifted closer, throwing an arm over Michael’s shoulder to draw his body closer. He kissed his cheek softly before whispering “We’ll see.”

\--- 

Alex decided he’d go to bed early that evening. After Michael had left, he’d decided to just grab his crutches to hop back into the bathroom and wash the chlorine from his skin. Sitting on the edge of the tub, rubbing the towel over his legs and stomach he caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror and thought about what Michael had suggested and eyed his phone in speculation. He’d never really done the suggestive photo thing… or even selfies for that matter. There hadn’t been much of a need. What he did know, however, was the need for privacy and security. Grabbing his phone he started doing some digging to see if there was any way to keep his photos private if he did decide to try and take some for Michael. He knew nothing was one hundred percent secure, but he thought he’d be able to at least make it somewhat of a challenge for any rando looking to snoop.

While he researched, he texted Kyle.

**> What do you know about sending selfies to people?** **  
** **< Kyle> Uh… depends. Cute selfies or naughty selfies?** **  
** **> Either?? Both??** **  
** **< Kyle> LOL.** **  
** **< Kyle> All selfies that include your face are usually best if taken with the camera slightly above eye level. Natural defused lighting is best, but really anything that isn’t fucking WalMart fluorescent overhead lighting will be okay. My personal opinion is that naughty selfies shouldn’t include your genitals unless they’ve already experienced them in person and they ask for a picture of it explicitly. Otherwise, keep it tasteful but teasing. Uhm… communicate?** **  
** **> Jesus I’m glad we’re not having this conversation in person.** **  
** **< Kyle> Me too. Tho if we were I could give you better examples. However I think that would fall into your “too comfortable with each other” boundary issues. :P** **  
** **> Yes, yes it would. Thanks for the tips.** **  
** **< Kyle> I’d offer to give your photos the OK before you send them to loverboy, but *sigh* boundaries.** **  
** **> Don’t be so bummed. I let you get away with buying me a years supply of anal lubricant.** **  
** **< Kyle> And you’re fucking welcome for that! LOL.**

Alex turned on the camera for his phone and made sure it was front facing then started to play with angles and try some of Kyle’s tips. After taking a few that seemed okay, he texted Michael.

**> Hope your meeting is going well.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> It’s fine. Bored as fuck. Carolyn wanted to go to some bar for drinks to discuss the properties. I think she just likes people to think I’m her boy toy. What are you up to?** **  
** **> Just got out of the shower. Thinking about getting my pjs on and crawling into that king size bed I spied earlier.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> So you’re naked right now? ;)** **  
** **> Relatively.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> :o** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Pics!! Make my night better, please!**

Flustered, Alex looked through the photos he’d just taken and chose one to send Michael. It was one of the down angled shots with him sitting on the tub’s edge, towel snugly around his waist, hair still damp and skin slightly flushed from the heat. He didn’t look terrible in it, but he didn’t really know what he was aiming for either. After sending it, he grabbed his crutches and decided to go ahead and lay on the bed in the bedroom to continue this. He was starting to feel a little cold.

**> ** **_Picture sent._ ** **_  
_ ** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> You know you’re like… really way too good looking for me, right? Like seriously though…** **  
** **> Ha! Thank you, but I’m pretty sure you’ve just missed your reflection in a mirror lately. You’re like… perfect.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Maybe you should stand me up in front of a mirror some time and show all the things you like about me. ;)** **  
** **> I’d like the view of you, but it’d be pretty hard to ignore myself ruining the image.** ****  
**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Pretty sure if you’re there, everything is perfect. Maybe I’ll stand you up in front of a mirror and show you all the things I like about you first.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Ugh, Carolyn’s back from the bar finally. Text me stuff while I deal with business.**

So he did until he fell asleep. Occasionally Michael would text back, but around midnight Alex passed out with his phone still in his hand, spread out over the top of the blankets. When he woke up later, it was to the feeling of a warm body snuggling behind his in the dark.

“Michael?” he asked, voice low and rough from sleep.

“Hey darlin’, I’m sorry to wake you,” Michael whispered before landing a kiss on his neck. Alex moaned lightly in appreciation, reaching back to grab Michael’s hand and pull it onto his chest.

“It’s okay. What time is it?” Alex asked, luxuriating in the feel of Michael’s warm body fitted snug against his own. His half wake brain wanted to push back and writhe against the feel of him, but he knew Michael was probably tired from the long day.

“A little before two. I took a shower when I got back. You, by the way, are adorable when you’re asleep,” Michael commented before nuzzling his nose into the hair behind Alex’s ear. He smiled drowsily at the affection.

“You have to be awake in a couple hours. I guess I should let you get to actually sleeping.”

“Mmm, sleep is for the weak,” Michael commented, even as his hand drifted down to slip under Alex’s shirt and rest suggestively on his lower stomach.

“You’ve spoiled me today,” Alex commented, turning over in Michael’s arms to face him. He captured his lips immediately in a soft kiss, moving his leg to rest between Michael’s. Michael accepted the kiss and then returned it, mouth opening to allow their tongues to meet and twist together. Alex’s hands roamed under Michael’s clothes, enjoying the softness of his skin and the hills and valleys of his muscles. Slipping his hand under Michael’s waistband, he found him half hard and rapidly getting harder.

“You don’t have to,” Michael gasped, breaking their kiss as Alex started to leisure tug and rub at Michael’s cock.

“Do you not want me to?” Alex asked, moving his head to start kissing along Michael’s jaw while his hand worked him over. He could feel Michael starting to thrust into his grip, could feel the tension already building in his body.

“I just… don’t think I’m going to last very long,” Michael admitted as he twisted his head to give Alex’s mouth better access to his neck. Alex felt his hands sliding into the back of his pajama pants and he moaned at how good they felt against his muscles. He’d never had someone who could make him so keyed up and desperate so quickly. He took his hand off Michael and quickly tugged their pants down far enough to get them both out between them. Feeling desperate and a little chagrined he didn’t bring any lube back into the bedroom, Alex held his hand in front of Michael’s mouth.

“Get my hand wet for me,” he breathed against Michael’s ear. Immediately he felt Michael’s warm, wet tongue against his palm lapping at him. After a few wet swipes, he took his hand back and brought it down, wrapping it around both their cocks and spreading the spit over both of them.

“Shit, fuck, GOD. Alex, god, you’re amazing,” Michael gasped, his hips started a dirty grinding rhythm into Alex’s tight, wet grip. Alex copied him, biting his bottom lip at how good it felt to have the pressure of Michael’s cock against his. He barely noticed when Michael took one of his hands back and spit it in before placing it above Alex’s. The new sensation made him cry out softly, their cocks now fully encompassed with both hands in tight, wet heat. Michael’s teeth caught his bottom lip, biting down softly, and Alex responded with his own series of biting kisses between them. Their movements were becoming frantic quickly, Alex feeling the tightness building in his lower body as his hips pumped and pushed in pace with Michael’s. When Michael came into their grip, the feeling of his release and the sharp, involuntary nip of his teeth against Alex’s tongue made him follow in an almost blinding flash. His hips kept up a slowing grind as he rode the waves of his orgasm against Michael’s, finally having to let go with regret as the stimulation began to edge past pleasure and into pain.

“Fuck,” Michael cursed through the lazy smile on his lips as he kissed Alex’s face and neck. Alex just nodded, feeling like he was floating and ready for sleep. A deep, slow kiss brought him back from the brink of slipping back under. “I’ll go grab a washcloth real quick.”

Alex nodded again and rolled onto his back, trying to keep his sticky, come covered hand from landing on the blanket. How were hand jobs still this good? He’d thought as he’d gotten older that hand jobs would become blasé and amateur, but with the right partner apparently, even the simple pleasures still held their own.

A warm, damp cloth smoothed over his hand while he laid blissed out on the bed. He could hear Michael chuckling softly as he cleaned each individual finger. He smiled at the feeling of his hand being cleaned and from the after effects of the orgasm. He listened to Michael leave and return, then the blanket underneath him was being tugged and Michael was kissing his cheek softly.

“I love your smile after you’ve cum your brains out. You look soft and happy,” he said, his hand coming up to cup Alex’s cheek and turn his head so Michael could place a soft kiss on his lips. “Get under the covers. You’ll get cold up there.”

Sighing, Alex rolled, scooted, pulled, and maneuvered until he was under the covers. Michael had turned with his back towards the center of the bed and Alex found his body plastered to him like a starfish to a rock.

“Is this okay?” Alex asked, nosing the nape of Michael’s neck drowsily.

“You’ll get hot,” Michael warned, a smile in his voice.

“Then I’ll move. But right now, is this okay? Will you be able to sleep with me like this?” Alex asked again even as he snuggled his body impossibly closer as he breathed in the mild sweat, rain, and soap smell of Michael’s skin.

“I guess we’ll find out,” Michael said with a huff of laughter, “I’ve never slept with someone like this before.”

“Well, just roll me over if you need to. I’ll either wake up the first time you move or I’ll be in a coma,” Alex said through a yawn. He felt like coma was more likely as his body accepted the warmth and security of Michael’s presence in his bed.

“Will do. Goodnight, Alex,” Michael said, kissing Alex’s forearm before letting his body relax into the tangle of limbs around him.

“’Night,” Alex mumbled, already more than half asleep.

The next morning, Alex found that he was indeed very hot. That was mostly due to the fact that somewhere during the few hours of the night Michael could stay and sleep, they’d completely switched positions. Alex found himself sprawled on his stomach with Michael half on top of him, head pillowed between his shoulder blades, arms wrapped loosely under his shoulders, and legs tangled under the covers. He wondered what had woken him since he’d apparently slept through being used as a second mattress when he heard the insistent beeping of Michael’s phone somewhere over by the nightstand.

“Michael,” he whispered, lifting the unweighted part of his upper body more a little to direct his voice in towards Michael’s ear. He gently removed the hand that was clinging to his deltoid and started a slow turn of his body underneath Michael’s bulk. He heard Michael’s resultant groan and felt him shift to lift enough of his weight off Alex so he could move. “Hey, your alarm is going off.”

“NNnnngggfff,” Michael moaned into Alex’s chest as he resettled his weight on top of him.

“You gotta get up. Work, remember?” Alex reminded him gently, running his fingers through the tangles in Michael’s hair.

“Well that’s not going to help me wake up,” Michael mumbled, eyes still closed as he canted his head into Alex’s ministrations. Alex laughed a little but kept petting his hair anyway.

“Well, I guess I could have just dumped a glass of cold water on you and called it done,” Alex suggested. Michael turned his head to squint at him menacingly.

“You wouldn’t!”

“I would. I have. I have 3 older brothers and I was in the military. That’s one of the nicer ways I know to wake people up,” Alex teased.

“I’m going to have to teach you how to wake someone up properly. That is unacceptable etiquette for waking someone who gave you two orgasms yesterday,” Michael said, closing his eyes and sniffing haughtily as he continued, “Blow jobs are always very pleasant ways to wake one’s lover up.”

“Oh, is that right?” Alex replied, smoothing his tongue over his bottom lip and biting it. Michael’s eyes grew dark and his expression mischievous as he watched. 

“Yes, very acceptable,” Michael insisted, his hand starting to shift Alex’s shirt up to reveal his stomach. “Shall I show you?”

Alex hummed at the warm feeling in his stomach and the pleasant tickle of Michael’s lips on his skin. He glanced at the bedside clock and sighed.

“Raincheck? I’m not going to be the reason you lose your job or get reprimanded,” Alex suggested, even as he felt himself starting to get hard. Michael hummed like he was thinking about the idea, but his hand had started to cup Alex through his pants and Alex felt a flush starting to break out over his skin in anticipation.

“What if I’m quick?” Michael asked, fingers moving to Alex’s waistband and gently tugging it down so his mouth could continue its slow trek over Alex’s skin towards his now throbbing erection. He felt Michael’s hand close around his length over the fabric and rub at him softly, even as his mouth sucked and bit lightly at the sensitive skin of his groin.

“I think the question is, what if  _ I’m _ quick?” Alex gasped out at a particularly hard nip. He didn’t know how Michael always got him going from one to a hundred so quickly, but fuck if he wasn’t already leaking into his pants over his talented mouth.

“Mmm,” Michael hummed, finally pulling the fabric up and away from Alex’s cock, letting it rest at attention towards Alex’s belly button. “You can be as quick as you want to be, I’ve been thinking about doing this since yesterday at lunch.”

With that, he licked the flat of his tongue from the root of Alex’s cock all the way up to the tip. He closed his lips around the shiny, wet head and Alex could feel his tongue swirling and laving at his slit. When Michael gave hard, slow suck Alex felt his eyes rolling into the back of his head and his body thrust without his volition. Michael took the motion in stride, moaning around the extra flesh pushed into his mouth before putting his hand around the base of Alex’s cock so he could work the part not in his mouth in tandem with his bobbing head.

“Fuck, Michael,” Alex gasped out, trying to control the aborted thrusts his hips were giving as he felt himself rushing towards the end embarrassingly quickly. “I’m going… fuck, I’m going to c—”

His body curled itself around Michael’s head in an effort to not simply bury itself down Michael’s throat and he felt like he lost time for a few seconds. Slowly, he unclenched his muscles and let himself relax back against the bed. Michael gently took his mouth and hand from him and then kissed his way back up Alex’s heaving, sweat dewed stomach and chest. When he got to his mouth, Alex found himself diving in to capture Michael’s lips and tongue in a grateful, filthy kiss. Michael accepted the kiss with alacrity and Alex could feel Michael’s own erection pressed against his thigh.

“Your turn,” he breathed when they parted, hand reaching down to help Michael get his own Good Morning Orgasm. Michael, however, caught his wrist and stopped him. When Alex looked at him, hurt and confused, he kissed him again softly.

“No time,” he explained apologetically before adding, “I’ll let you take me apart tonight after my meeting with Brenda if you want.”

“Ugh, I forgot you had another meeting,” Alex pouted, pulling his wrist from Michael’s grip a little more forcefully than he’d meant to. He was getting a little frustrated by the disproportionate amount of orgasms he was getting versus giving. He wanted to make Michael feel good too, wanted to see him like he was the night before, wanted to have him at Alex’s mercy for once, but he kept backing away whenever it was time for Alex to reciprocate. Michael seemed to take his reaction in stride which annoyed Alex further.

“This one won’t go as late. I’ll meet with her right after school probably and be back around 8 or 9. If you wanted, you could text me again. You were the best part of my meeting last night. That post-shower selfie kept me in my seat an extra five minutes trying to calm myself down from how good you looked. You really are just ridiculously fucking hot. I can’t believe you’ve made it this long without some rich old guy scooping you up to be his sugar baby,” Michael said, kissing Alex’s jaw and cheek while he spoke. Alex let the compliments wash over him even though they were ridiculous. The delicious sting of Michael’s scruff and the soft pressure of his lips on Alex’s skin went a long way to soothe the petulant, snappish mood he’d been settling into. 

“Guess it’s a lucky thing I was stuck in the middle east for most of that time,” Alex snorted derisively. He tried to focus on the way Michael’s body felt pressing against his, on the warmth from his mouth and hands, but Alex found he kept returning to the feeling of being rejected. He knew it wasn’t really the case, but he  _ felt _ like he was being rejected and his anxieties about not being enough for someone else had already begun nibbling at the sense of calm he’d been developing for the past week with Michael.

“Lucky for me,” Michael agreed obliviously, giving Alex one last lingering kiss before sitting up to turn off his second snooze alarm. He hopped off the bed and looked over at Alex, still spread out looking thoroughly bedraggled and debauched, and watching him with overt longing. “Text me later?”

Alex nodded and watched him leave the room. He closed his eyes, listened as Michael got himself dressed and then he listened for the front door closing. When the house was silent, he grabbed the pillow Michael had used and hugged it to his chest, burying his face against the cotton pillow case to breath in the faint traces of scent MIchael had left behind for him. He did his best to push aside his fears that Michael was already growing bored of him, that he was sexually inadequate because of all of his years in the air force hiding what he was, that he wasn’t  _ enough _ for Michael to keep. Thoughts spiraling around him, Alex somehow found his way back to sleep, but it was hard won and the crease between his eyebrows didn’t fully fade even in slumber. 


	8. Teardrop on the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schmoop and smut ala malex!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by the inestimable Jesibella!

That afternoon, Alex came back to the house feeling almost buoyant after his interview with the law firm. As he got into the living room, ready to start stripping out of his suit, he saw a text from Michael pop up on his phone. Michael was out for his work meeting with “Mama” Brenda. Just thinking about her made Alex’s lip curl. She might be perfectly nice, but he was excellent at spotting the abnormal parading as normal and she wasn’t normal. Her relationship with Michael wasn’t normal. He just didn’t know what about it was setting off his warning bells. But it was Michael’s business and Alex trusted that Michael knew how to handle her. He opened his phone and checked the text Michael had sent:

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Hey babe. I’m bored waiting for Brenda. She’s late. Send me pics! I need a pick me up. :(**

Alex thought about what he’d want to send Michael to get him to hurry back to the house. He was ready to celebrate his great interview and he hoped that would involve food, wine, and lots of skin touching skin. Alex walked back to the bedroom where there was a standing full-length mirror near the closet. The bedroom had large windows that spanned the outer wall. The late afternoon light was dappled as it made its way through a large mimosa tree planted near the house. Alex undid the tie from around his neck and popped the first few buttons of his shirt, then unbuttoned the cuffs at his wrists. He tried a half smile and stood far enough back to get a full body view in the mirror and then snapped the picture. He sent it out to Michael and sat down on the edge of the bed as he waited.

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> OMG. You and the suits! Fantasies! Engage!** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Getting undressed after your interview? How did it go?** **  
** **> It went really well. I’ll give you all the gory details tonight.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Excellent. Meanwhile… you should keep me updated on how you’re doing with those clothes. Are they coming off alright? Is there a zipper stuck? Do you need me to cancel my meeting to come help you out of them?**

Grinning, Alex unbuttoned his shirt all the way and untucked it from his pants. He slid the belt out from the belt loops and pulled his slacks down a little to ride lower on his hips. He pushed the side of one shirt back with one hand and let it sit on his hip and he snapped the next picture. He liked how the spots of light and shadow played on his skin and made him look a little more in shape than he probably was. He hadn’t been exercising as much as he needed to while on his vacation. He turned his body more into the light and put his hand in his pocket. Making sure he had his finger right over the photo button, he closed his eyes and took another photo. He looked over the two photos and decided to send Michael both of them.

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Jesus. You’re so ridiculously hot. I am getting so many bad ideas right now, you have no idea.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> That being said… can I have some more? ;) But only if you want to!** **  
** **> What will you give me in return?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> What do you want in return? I am pretty sure you could have me on my hands and knees begging right now if you wanted it… **

Alex bit his lip and smiled at the message. His confidence was swelling as Michael kept showering him with compliments. He’d never had someone make him feel this wanted and it was kind of addicting. He shrugged off the button down and threw it on the bed promising himself he’d hang it up later. Then he looked at himself critically in the mirror. He ran his hands over his chest and stomach and popped the button on his slacks. He thought about Michael and what he might want to see. What would he do if he were there? Would he do like he did that morning? Slowly strip Alex down and tease him with his mouth? Would he bury his face against Alex’s clothed crotch, his hands running restlessly up and down his thighs while he looked up through his eyelashes to catch Alex staring at him?

Alex let out a huff of air as he cupped himself through his pants and looked at himself in the mirror again. His skin was starting to flush a little from his thoughts. He gently kneaded his slowly filling cock and thought again about what Michael would like to see. Feeling daring, he laid back on the bed and propped himself on his elbows. He unzipped the slacks and spread them open so the hard on in his admittedly loud red underwear was perfectly visible. He looked down at himself… He looked kind of slutty… and it was really doing something for him. Before he could change his mind, he snapped a couple pictures and sent them to Michael

**> If you want to see anything more, you’ll just have to come here in person. I’ll think about what you owe me for this in the meantime. ;)** **  
** ** <Michael the Hot Cowboy> Pretty sure you just blew my mind. Like, I’m dead now, thanks. Also…**

His phone beeped with an incoming picture. Alex downloaded and looked at the screen. Michael was in what he presumed was the restaurant bathroom. It was a single stall bathroom which Alex was immensely glad for because Michael was sporting a very impressive hard on through his jeans that made Alex’s mouth water and he didn’t want to share that sight with anyone else. God, he was ready for Michael to be done with his meeting.

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Look what you’ve done! I’m going to have to sing the national anthem in my head and think about Trump without his shirt on to get this thing to go down.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Are you going to take care of yourself while I’m conducting my business with Brenda?** **  
** **> I’d rather wait til you were here to take care of it for me.** **  
****< Michael the Hot Cowboy> You’re evil. ** **  
** **> See you tonight, Cowboy. ** ;)

Alex tossed his phone onto the bed and looked down at himself. He might have to use Michael’s idea of the anthem and the unclothed president himself if he was going to wait for Michael to deal with his hard-on. He quickly shed the rest of his suit and went about hanging it up correctly. He changed into a pair of sweatpants and he wandered to the living room to watch TV for a while until Michael got there. 

After finding a Bones marathon, Alex let his mind wander. Would things be this good when he moved down here? Would he get to look forward to Michael coming over after work and them doing things together? More museum dates and sushi and amazing sex until they were sick of each other? He’d never had anything long term before and it was a little daunting to think about how different they might act towards each other in six months. Would Michael get bored? Would he figure out that Alex didn’t have much besides war stories to tell? He decided with a sigh that he’d just have to wait and see.

\---

Around 8, Michael stepped through the front door. Alex was sitting in one of the papasans on the porch overlooking the courtyard. He was drinking coffee and typing away on his laptop while music played softly from his phone on a small side table next to him.

“Evening, darlin’,” Michael drawled, making Alex startle and put a hand to his heart as he watched Michael take the seat on the other side of the table. He looked gorgeous as ever in jeans and a t-shirt. He must’ve changed after work because he looked far too casual to be a professional at a university.

“Jeez, you scared me. Hi, how was your meeting?” Alex asked, hitting the ‘Save’ button on the program he was playing with before closing the laptop and setting it aside. Michael slumped back in his papasan looking tense but on his way to relaxing. 

“Ugh. It was okay. Brenda decided she wanted to ‘punish’ me for not asking to borrow the place. It was stupid, but we worked out a few kinks and I got a new to-do list to get finished before we meet up next month. What happened with your interview?” Michael asked, steamrolling forward when Alex opened his mouth to apologize for using the place to sleep.

“It, uh… it went really well. I really liked the team members I was able to meet and they kind of went over the type of work I’d be doing. A little web security, but mostly cyber research into clients and people suing their clients. They seemed incredibly positive at the end of the interview that they’d be calling me in a couple days to let me know their decision, so... fingers crossed?” Alex finished, holding up both his hands with his pointer and middle fingers wrapped around each other. Michael chuckled at him before leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

“I’m sure they’ll be getting back with you. Brenda said she called over and talked to Mr. Sanchez, her lawyer, and put in a good word. She’s pretty good about helping people out when she can.” Alex just nodded, not sure how he felt about Brenda calling in for him. He was glad for the help, but there was something about her that he just didn’t like.

“Have you eaten?” Alex asked, changing the subject.

“Not since lunch. I’m kind of starving? But I also keep thinking about those texts we sent earlier and I’m wondering if you’ve settled on what I owe you for distracting me so effectively,” Michael responded, giving Alex a lewd up and down look that made Alex’s stomach tighten in anticipation. 

“I’m not sure what you think is fair. I was just thinking of taking a hot shower and eating some dinner,” Alex flirted. Michael mouthed the words ‘hot shower’ while giving him finger air quotes and Alex snickered at him. Somehow this prompted Michael to start doing a sexy little dance in his seat while biting his lip which was silly and ridiculous and made Alex laugh even more at him.

“You’re such a dork, jeez,” Alex wheezed through the end of his laughter. Michael stood up and kept dancing as Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” came on through the phone’s speakers. He danced over to stand in front of Alex, continuing to sway his hips and move his arms to the beat. Alex grinned up at him and watched appreciatively at how he moved his body. You’d never know it looking at him, but Michael was a pretty good dancer. Alex reached forward and put his hands on Michael’s waist, not sure what he was going to do, but no longer satisfied with just watching the show.

“You like it,” Michael stated, grinning down at the look on Alex’s face as he stared up Michael’s body. He put his hands over Alex’s and slid them under his tee as he leaned forward and climbed onto the chair with Alex, knees on either side of his hips. Alex immediately sat up and caught Michael’s mouth in an open kiss, his hands splaying possessively over his back muscles as he kept him in place. Michael braced his hands on either side of Alex against the back of the chair and let Alex relax back against the cushion as he followed, his lips still attached to Alex’s. When they finally broke apart, they were both smiling and laughing a little, the song having ended and moved on to something else.

“Food?” Alex asked, feeling a little breathless at the look Michael was giving him. His eyes were dark and his lips were slick and begging to be kissed some more.

“Not yet. I’ll keep,” Michael responded, bending down to kiss Alex again. Alex turned his head and, not to be deterred, Michael started kissing his jaw and neck down to his shoulder. The scrape of his well manicured stubble was making gooseflesh erupt on Alex’s chest and he was in danger of losing focus. 

“Michael, you need food! I need food! Let’s order something or go get something,” Alex whined, even as his body started to shift under Michael’s at the stimulation Michael was giving him on a stretch of skin behind his ear lobe.

“Maybe what I need is you, with less clothes, with your mouth somewhere on my body?” Michael replied, his voice husky and amused. His hand cupped Alex’s cheek and Michael gently turned his face before he delivered a devastating, deep kiss that scrambled Alex’s brain for a minute. When he was able to get his brain back online, he found himself returning the kiss and chasing Michael’s mouth when he pulled away and sat back on his lap.

“Still thinking about food?” Michael teased as his hands moved restlessly over Alex’s chest, thumbs teasing over the stiff peaks of Alex’s nipples and making him groan. 

“Ugh, I’m not sure I’m thinking about anything right now,” Alex admitted, arching into Michael’s touch and moving his hands around Michael’s body to rub up and down his chest and stomach as well. His nails drug over the contours of his torso, biting in slightly when Michael’s fingers started to pinch and drag at his nipples. 

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Michael said smiling smugly before he took his hands off Alex long enough to shed his own shirt off of his body. Alex leaned forward and captured one of Michael’s nipples in his mouth before his shirt was even out of his hands. A deep groan of appreciation sounded above him. He swirled his tongue around the bud before sucking and biting down gently. One of Michael’s hands tangled in his hair and Alex heard the soft expletive hiss from between Michael’s teeth as he continued to abuse him with his mouth.

“How about we make a deal?” Alex asked, looking up towards Michael’s face as he switched to tease his other nipple with kitten licks. Michael gasped at the contrast in sensation and then looked down at him in question.

“You order me enchiladas from somewhere to be delivered here and I’ll blow you right here on this balcony.”

Michael had the light from the living room falling across him and Alex could see his eyes dilate at the offer. He smiled and got his mouth back to work even as he felt Michael fumbling to get his phone out from his back pocket where it was trapped.

“Let me help,” Alex whispered. He reached between them and undid the front of Michael’s jeans to loosen them enough for Michael to be able to slide his phone out of his pocket. If it also gave Alex more access to Michael’s body as well… well, that was just a pleasant side effect.

“Fuck, Alex,” Michael said breathlessly as he finally got his phone out. He opened his phone over Alex’s shoulder and Alex could see him trying to concentrate. Feeling a little evil, Alex kissed up Michael’s chest to his neck. His hands slipped down the back of Michael’s jeans, hands smoothing over his cloth covered ass cheeks and grabbing them, kneading them in his hands. Michael moaned loudly, his body arching and pressing his ass further into Alex’s hands. Feeling daring, Alex removed them for a moment to slip past the band on his underwear and resume his groping skin on skin. Michael’s body started to rock against his lap as Alex squeezed Michael’s muscles.

“Do we have food coming or do I need to stop and let you concentrate?” Alex asked softly, his lips brushing over Michael’s collar bone as he spoke. Michael’s fingers had stopped moving and he had scooted his body so that he could grind down against the hard line of Alex’s cock in his sweatpants. He didn’t answer immediately and Alex looked up to see his head tilted back, eyes closed and mouth slack in concentration as his hips started a rhythm. Alex removed one of his hands from where he’d been digging his fingers into the muscles of Michael’s ass and smoothed it up Michael’s body until he was cupping the back of Michael’s neck. He tipped his head so that they were making eye contact.

“Do I need to stop for a moment?” Alex asked again, even as the hand he still had down Michael’s underwear slid inward so Alex could run a finger down Michael’s crack until it was petting over Michael’s hole. Michael was breathing hard through his nose, biting his lip, eyes fluttering closed at the feeling of Alex’s finger there. It was such a beautiful sight to see him getting so lost in the pleasure that Alex was giving him. “Michael?”

“Chicken or beef?” he managed to pant out, eyes still closed and bottom pressing back, chasing the pressure of Alex’s fingers against him. 

“Chicken. No sour cream,” Alex replied, moving his finger away from Michael’s pucker to let him concentrate. Michael opened his eyes, whining a little as his eyes went back to his phone and Alex could feel the muscles in his forearm moving as his fingers moved over the screen choosing options on whatever app he was using to order food. 

"Done!” Alex heard Michael announce and felt the phone slip down his back onto the cushion behind him.

“Excellent. Do you want me to blow you here or…?” Alex asked, a hand coming to rest of Michael’s solid hard on still trapped in his underwear. He squeezed around the muscle teasingly and Michael let out a needy moan. 

“Let’s go inside. Meet me in the shower?” Michael suggested, sounding breathless and turned on and looking a little scatterbrained at Alex’s touch.

“Meet you in the shower, I’m going to bring in my laptop and coffee cup,” Alex countered, pulling Michael down into a kiss to seal the bargain.

“Okay, don’t take too long,” Michael teased as he backed off Alex’s lap. Alex looked him over and felt like the cat who got the cream. Michael’s already unruly curls looked wild and his lips were kiss swollen. He looked like pure sex with his jeans barely hanging onto his hips and his erection outlined by the cotton of his underwear. They shared a look and Alex had to stop himself from dropping to his knees right there on the rough concrete of the balcony. Luckily, Michael sauntered away then, back into the house and presumably to the master bathroom with the large walk-in shower.

Alex gave him a head start while he collected his belongings, Michael’s shirt, and phone. He dumped everything on the kitchen counter before following the sound of the shower running to the master bedroom. He stripped off his clothes in the center of the room and went to one of his backpacks and dug out a packet of lube.When he entered the bathroom. He could see Michael already in the spray from the showerhead, hand wrapped around his shaft and stroking it slowly. Alex walked into the shower and sat on the edge of one of the built-in benches outside of the spray and began removing his prosthetic and placing it outside the shower along with his liner and sock. The packet of lube sat beside his thigh on the bench. The bench wrapped around the outside wall of the long shower stall and Alex slid down it until he was only a foot or so behind where Michael was standing. He’d turned when he heard Alex come in and was watching him, cock still in his hand.

"Hey,” Alex started, grinning up at the serious expression Michael was giving him. He looked hungry and Alex knew it had nothing to do with the enchiladas they’d ordered. “Why don’t you come over here?”

Michael walked forward until he was standing between Alex’s knees. Alex’s immediately ran his hands over the wet skin he could reach. Michael bent over, catching the back of Alex’s head with one of his hands before kissing him soundly. The swirl of their tongues around each other was intoxicating as the kisses started to feel desperate as Michael’s mouth tried to devour his. Alex blindly let his hands wander, one finding Michael’s rigid cock and one tracing farther up his body to tweak his dark pink, still peaked nipples. When Alex started moving the hand on Michael’s shaft, Michael broke the kiss with a needy keen, resting his forehead against Alex’s.

“Stand up for me,” Alex commanded, scooting forward on the bench as soon as Michael unbent his spine. He continued to stroke Michael but also grabbed the lube packet from next to him and presented it for Michael to inspect. “Would this be okay?

“Uhm, fuck yes. Please and thank you,” Michael replied enthusiastically, widening his stance to present more access for Alex’s wandering hands. Alex rewarded him by kissing the valley between hip bone and groin. He let his lips linger there before slowly kissing his way over to Michael’s red flushed cock. Alex mouthed from the base up to the tip before letting his lips enclose the fleshy head, sucking lightly. His eyes slipped closed at the taste of Michael’s skin on this tongue. He opened his mouth wider and sank further down, bopping his head and swirling his tongue around the shaft. With his mouth at work, he fumbled with the packet of lube in his hand, tearing it open after a few tries and getting some on his fingers. After he felt like he was adequately coated, he brought his clean hand back up to grip Michael’s hip while the other trailed between his legs, behind his balls along his perineum and back to his hole. As before, when his fingers started to rub soft circles around him, Michael let out a guttural groan of need that made Alex want to blow his load right then and there. He took his mouth off Michael, replacing it with a steady stroking hand, and looked up to see Michael’s face. He looked almost in pain as his breath heaved from his chest and he locked an arm against the wall to keep himself steady.

“You are so fucking hot right now,” Alex said without meaning to. Michael opened his eyes and grinned down at him.

“We definitely need to get you in front of a mirror. I gotta keep closing my eyes so I don’t come before you get your fingers in me,” Michael panted. Alex took that as consent to start and began to smoothly push the first finger past the tight ring of muscle. Michael immediately pitched forward with his hands braced against the wall, an ecstatic gasp punching out of him, before he rested his head on his forearm. It put Michael’s nipples in easy reach for Alex’s mouth and as he started stroking Michael’s cock and thrusting his finger in and out of him in tandem as his mouth found a rosy bud to lick and nip at.

“Oh god, Alex. Shit, more,” Michael groaned, hips started to stutter and chase Alex’s movements. Alex withdrew both hands and quickly drizzled on more lube before returning to Michael’s hole and breaching him with two fingers instead of one. A high-pitched whine came from Michael’s lips and Alex could tell he was close. Dipping his head down, Alex took Michael’s cock back into his mouth and started working on him, cheeks hollowing and tongue lathing over the skin. When Michael’s thighs began to tremble and his hand landed solidly on Alex’s shoulder, he took that as a warning and worked his way as far down as he could onto Michael’s shaft before starting to make pointed thrusts to the spot where he’d figured out Michael’s prostate lay.

One of Michael’s legs came up and he braced his knee on the bench as he started to come. His cry was almost wordless and his muscles seemed to lock even as his balls emptied into the back of Alex’s throat. It felt so good to Alex to make him feel this way. He sucked Michael through his aftershock, continuing to slowly move his fingers inside him though keeping off the sensitive organ that would make it too much. Finally, Michael squeezed his shoulder and straightened his body, his softening cock slipping from between Alex’s lips as he withdrew his fingers from Michael’s ass. Michael stared down at him in wonder. He looked like he was about to return the favor when the doorbell rang.

“Shit!” Michael exclaimed, disappointment coming over his features as his eyes lingered on Alex’s cock.

“Don’t worry about me, go get our food,” Alex said, shooing him with his hands. Alex watched him grab a robe from the back of the bathroom door and hurry to the front. Leaning back against the wall, Alex took himself in hand with the remaining lube and thought about how fucking good Michael had sounded while Alex had his fingers in him. He imagined he’d sound even better with his cock in him. Alex didn’t need much more than that to cum messily into his hand. He sighed at the pleasure of it and then got to work actually showering himself. When he finished his shower, Alex scooted back to the edge of the bench by the door and looked at his liner. He really didn’t want to put everything back on when he figured he’d be taking it off within an hour.

“Hey Michael?” Alex called, hoping his voice could be heard at the front of the house. He heard a muffled ‘Yeah?’ in answer and then footsteps heading his direction. Michael’s curls popped past the doorway and he looked at Alex in question.

“I uh… didn’t bring my crutches in with me… or any clothes. Mind grabbing my sweats and the crutches for me?” Alex asked, more than a little embarrassed at having to ask for help. Michael smiled and nodded, popping out of the door frame. He returned a moment later with Alex’s things and handed them over to him.

“Want to eat out front or in the bedroom?” Michael asked watching Alex put on his pants and tie off one of the legs.

“Ugh, out front. Never eat in bed,” Alex responded, wrinkling his nose. Michael laughed and held his hands up.

“Hey, I was raised by wolves so I eat wherever there’s food,” he joked. “But I guess I can keep crumbs out of the sheets for you. What do you want to drink?”

“Just grab me some water. I’ll be up there in a minute,” Alex replied. Michael nodded again and then was gone, back towards the front. Alex hoisted himself up to stand and then made his way that way as well. The smell of Mexican food was making his mouth water. When he got to the front, he saw that Michael hadn’t just gotten enchiladas, but had ordered tacos, cheese dip, nachos, and sopapillas. Alex felt his mouth open in shock. It was a LOT of food.

“I know, right? Apparently, I was just hitting things at random. I must’ve been distracted by something,” Michael joked, grabbing two glasses and filling them with water. Shaking his head, Alex let out a laugh and went to sit on one of the stools in front of the kitchen island. Michael joined him and they started picking through all the takeout containers, not bothering to mess up plates, but sharing everything between them. After a few minutes, Alex spoke up.

“So camping tomorrow… I don’t have any camping stuff up here with me. I have a little bit left over from when I was a kid at home, but even that’s probably falling apart by now. While you’re at work tomorrow, I figured I’d hit up Target or something and get some stuff. What do you think I’ll need?” Alex asked after swallowing a bite of taco. Michael chewed and looked contemplative.

“Well, probably just food. I’ve got everything else covered. Get some stuff to make s’mores. And seriously, anything else you want, I’m not picky,” Michael replied after he swallowed. Alex frowned, but nodded. Michael must’ve picked up on his misgivings because he paused with his fork midway between the container and his mouth to continue. “Think of this more as glamping. While we will be able to sleep under the stars, we’ll also have access to a couple burners and a bathroom. The only thing you might want is some swim trunks, but honestly I would be just as happy if you forgot them.”

“Oh my god, you’re such a flirt. Eat your food,” Alex teased, pushing at Michael’s face to turn it away from him after Michael had given him a suggestive leer.

“Also, do you need to be back up here by any specific time on Saturday? I figured we’d store your car at my place and if you wanted you could either stay the night with me or head out as soon as we get back. You might be sick of me by then anyway,” Michael joked, but Alex heard the nervous edge to his voice.

“Not sure it’s going to happen that quickly. Especially if you keep feeding me food and compliments,” Alex said, smiling and nudging Michael with his elbow. Michael smiled in response and went back to eating his food, but Alex felt like he’d misstepped somewhere. He wasn’t sure where and he didn’t really know how to address it, so he let it go for now. Hopefully, it would come up later.

They continued eating until Alex pushed the containers away and groaned.

“Ugh, I wish I had a button to unbutton on these pants. I didn’t realize I was that hungry,” he groaned, rubbing his slightly rounded stomach for emphasis. Michael grinned over at him and reached over, rubbing over his stomach too.

“That’s quite a food baby you got there. Should we name him?” Michael joked before thumping his stomach as if testing a watermelon.

“Ha! Let’s call him Vlad cause he’s sucking the energy right out of me. I think I’m ready for a nap,” Alex commented. Michael turned on his stool and kissed Alex’s shoulder while still rubbing his belly.

“Want to go lay down while I throw all this stuff out?” he asked, resting his chin where his lips had been.

“No, I can help. Moving will help me digest this beast,” Alex joked as he started to gather the containers nearest him and stack them together. Michael did the same with his and then grabbed the half full trash bag from the trash can and held it so Alex could deposit his stack. Tying off the bag, Michael leaned over and puckered his lips in an obvious request for a kiss. Alex obliged him and then watched him leave out the front door to presumably put the trash in the can outside. Alex took their forks and water glasses and pushed them to the far side of the island from him before hopping off his stool and making his way around to where he could grab them and wash them out in the sink. He’d washed and placed them all in the drainer by the time Michael was back inside and pressed against his back, kissing his neck and ear affectionately.

“Bedtime?” he asked, arms wrapped around Alex’s waist. Alex turned and kissed him soundly on the lips.

“Bedtime,” Alex agreed.

Once under the covers, lights turned out and only moonlight illuminating the room, Alex felt Michael’s body spoon up behind his. He felt the soft kiss from Michael on the nape of his neck and the way his arm slid around his body and splayed over his still slightly distended stomach.

“This is a thing for you, huh?” Alex asked in the darkness. Michael made an inquisitive noise and Alex placed his hand over Michael’s and slid it over the curve of his belly.

“Kind of?” Michael answered and Alex could hear the embarrassed timidness in his voice.

“Do you want kids? Or do you just like seeing me fat?” Alex asked, keeping his tone light so Michael wouldn’t think he had a problem with either possibility. “I mean, obviously I can’t physically produce them for you, but you know… fostering, adoption, surrogacy… there’s ways you could have that.”

“I don’t know if I want kids. I’ve been in a lot of shitty households in my life. I’m not sure I’m equipped to be a parent,” Michael commented, his voice subdued and echoing a long past sadness. “But seeing you fat? Like, this doesn’t make you fat, I hope you understand. Do I like seeing evidence that I pleased you and provided for you? On a caveman level, yeah. I think that’s it. But also, it’s mostly just you. I like every version of you I’ve seen so far, including with a food baby.”

“I’ll allow it,” Alex responded, curling his fingers in the spaces between Michael’s and squeezing affectionately.

“Good. Now go to sleep,” Michael commanded in mock authority, his fingers curling with Alex’s. He kissed the nape of Alex’s neck again and they both settled in, their bodies relaxing against each other’s as they drifted off to sleep.

\---

Later when Alex woke it was the middle of the night. He was cold and it became apparent why when he found that Michael had kicked the blanket to the end of the bed at some point. He’d also rolled away from Alex and lay starfished across the bed on his stomach, leaving Alex with only enough room to curl on his side. Alex sat up and grabbed the blankets, pulling them back up over their legs before turning so that he could look at Michael while he slept. He was beautiful, of course. His hands were buried under his pillow and he had his face half hidden by curls. He’d worn a shirt to bed, but that was long gone now. He still had his pants on, though they’d ridden low enough to only stay on because of the swell of his ass. Because he was very bad at denying himself anything in the middle of the night, Alex let his fingers trace patterns into the skin of Michael’s back while he watched him.

“Alex?” Michael mumbled after a minute, his body staying relaxed but one eye opening to peer at him through the mess of curls.

“Sorry,” Alex apologized, kissing his shoulder blade before taking his hand back. He laid back on his back and looked over at Michael who was now watching him through the dark.

“Did you need something?” Michael asked, even as he drew his nearest arm to Alex out from under the pillow and slung it across Alex’s stomach, tugging him closer until he was sharing Michael’s pillow and was pinned half underneath his sleep warmed body.

“No, I was just watching you sleep,” Alex replied, reaching up and smoothing the loose curls away from Michael’s face and tucking them behind his ear. Half of them fell back out, but Alex didn’t mind. It gave him an excuse to keep touching Michael’s hair as they talked.

“Well, since I’m awake….” Michael started, grinning as his hand smoothed down the outside of Alex’s leg, hooking his hand under the knee and pulling it over his hip. “…it’s going to take some time for me to get back to sleep.”

Alex shook his head and laughed silently, even as Michael set to work with his talented mouth along Alex’s neck and collar. He lifted his body and with a smooth move situated himself between Alex’s legs. Alex bent his other leg, enjoying the friction of Michael’s body against his, even while he played like he wasn’t into it.

“Here I was, just trying to be sweet, and now you’re accosting me with your body,” Alex whined, sighing dramatically. He could feel Michael’s smile against his jaw as he made his way to Alex’s mouth.

“It’s your fault, you woke me up,” Michael accused with a slow dirty roll of his hips to show exactly what part of him Alex had apparently woken. Alex gasped and he hooked his leg over Michael’s to keep him right where he was.

“All I was doing was watching you sleep!” Alex said in mock outrage, his hands pressing low on Michael’s back as he rolled his hips up to meet Michael’s. The pressure through his sweats was just enough and he bit his bottom lip at how fucking good it felt.

“And touching me. You were touching me,” Michael continued as he pulled at Alex’s shirt until he sat up enough for Michael to pull it off and fling it off the bed.

“You kicked off all the covers, I was cold!” In a moment of inspiration, Alex used his military training and Michael’s inattention to flip their position, landing Michael on his back and Alex straddling him.

“Fuck, I’m pretty sure I just discovered a new kink! Yes, please, cover me in oil and try to keep me pinned,” Michael said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively while running his hands up and down Alex’s arms muscles.

“How are you even real?” Alex asked in half sincerity, chuckling to himself as he bent down to finally kiss Michael’s mouth.

“Well, some say I’m not. I’m an alien, ya know,” Michael said between kisses.

“Is that it? Is this your cosmic power? To turn me into a helpless addict to your whims and wiles?” Alex joked, kissing him again more soundly. They were both half hard, but there was no hurry to take care of it. Alex was just having fun making out, teasing, and flirting.

“Well, I have been told I’m out of this world…” Michael said, laughing and capturing Alex’s bottom lip between his teeth, letting them graze over the flesh before sucking gently and releasing it.

“Lots of people tell you that?” Alex asked, using the tip of his nose to rub against Michael’s while keeping his mouth just out of reach.

“A few, but until you say it, it doesn’t matter, does it?” Michael said, chasing Alex’s mouth with his until he became too frustrated and laid his head back down to wait. Alex didn’t make him wait long, bringing his mouth down to Michael’s and giving him a slow, languishing kiss as his hips moved, dragging his erection against Michael’s. Michael’s hands found their way to Alex’s ass, using his hold to guide the movement of his body against Michael’s. A whimper escaped from Alex’s throat at how good it felt to have Michael’s hands on him, controlling his movements, bringing him closer to the edge.

“Want to try something else that looks like a wrestling move, but is way more fun to execute?” Michael asked as their rhythm had started to speed up taking their actions from playful to something more serious.

“Hm?” Alex hummed in inquiry; his mouth otherwise occupied with panting as his attention was wholly on how good everything was feeling.

“Take off your pants and lay on your side,” Michael instructed. Alex followed his instructions and watched Michael do the same and then flip to where his face was directly in front of Alex’s cock and vice versa.

“Such a romantic,” Alex snickered as he moved his body forward so that he could easily mouth along Michael’s shaft, hand petting over his hip before gripping it to keep him steady. He dove in without further ado, hungrily wrapping his lips around Michael and sucking him down. Instead of answering Alex’s taunt, Michael followed suit and took Alex into his mouth as well. Alex felt his body tensing immediately, his mind warring with the sensations he was getting as he tried to give Michael pleasure and take it at the same time. It was overwhelming for him and he found himself backing off to press his face into Michael’s thigh occasionally to pant through particularly powerful surges of arousal. When he did, he kept his hand on Michael’s cock, stroking him as evenly as he could manage while trying to keep his hips still. Eventually, he got lost in the rhythm of it, the endless feedback loop of sucking mouths, swirling tongues, and tidal surges when he was sure he was about to cum only to have the feeling recede.

When Michael came first, it was almost like a punch to the gut because neither of them really expected it. He’d drawn off of Alex’s cock to mouth at his balls when he gasped and made a desperate, pained sound. Alex felt the flood of his spunk a moment later on his tongue and he moved with him through it, swallowing and clutching at his skin, the bitter tang a shock but worth it to hear Michael’s soft moans. When it was over Alex moved to take his mouth away when Michael surprised him.

“Wait,” Michael gasped out, his hand reaching to stop Alex’s movement even as he struggled to catch his breath. “Hold me in your mouth while I finish you off.”

Alex did as he was told and let his lips slide over as much of Michael as he could comfortably hold while still being able to breathe. Michael took him again and Alex shut his eyes as he felt Michael’s mouth start to work him over. Almost unconsciously he started licking at the half hard prick in his mouth, moaning around the flesh as Michael started taking him deeper until Alex could feel the soft muscles of his throat. The stimulation he was giving Michael seemed to keep him in a limbo between getting hard again and going soft as he worked Alex closer to his own completion. When Michael started to get hard again and stay that way, the muscle pressing Alex’s tongue down and making his moans deeper, Alex started to feel that pleasure wave cresting again. He followed it this time, relaxing into the feeling of having Michael in his mouth and sucking his cock. His body drew up tight as he started to fall over into his orgasm, Michael pressing his mouth close against Alex’s balls and swallowing reflexively around the load.

When he’d finished, Alex drew back and rolled to his back gasping for breath. His lips throbbed from their constant use and his body tingling everywhere. He felt Michael moving beside him and realized what he was doing as soon as Michael’s lips moved against his requesting a kiss. Alex opened to him, reveling in how their tongues smoothed over one another’s and he just wanted Michael to climb back between his legs and be able to push into him, push orgasms out of him until he cumming dry and begging for him to stop. But that wasn’t the night for it. Instead, Michael pulled the kisses back and back until they were soft pecks. He was smoothing the sweaty hair off Alex’s forehead and nuzzling his face against his jaw.

“I think I might be able to fall back asleep now,” Michael said against Alex’s skin, his voice low and hoarse around the words. Alex grinned at hearing them and wondered if he’d sound the same.

“Me too,” Alex admitted, turning his head to catch Michael in one last lingering kiss goodnight. As soon as they situated themselves with limbs splayed and legs strewn across each other’s, Alex felt himself quickly get sucked back into sleep, body warm and relaxed.


	9. Glamping for Beginners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Michael get ready for their first camping trip together!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was beta'd by the (HolyShit!SoVery)Amazing [StrangeRedLantern! ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strangeredlantern) Go check out her writing, it's simply amazing. Then tell her about how amazing her writing is. If you only leave one comment this month, make it to her about how great she is. (If you're going to leave two, it'd be cool if I got to hear from you as well. LOL)

The next time Alex awoke it was alone. He moved his arms across the mattress to try and find Michael’s warmth, but there was only coolness on the sheets. Squinting against the sunlight that flooded into the room, he tried to to see if he could find any trace that Michael was still there. There was nothing but his own clothes littering the floor. For a moment, the sinking feeling that Alex had been abandoned felt like a weight on his chest. Panic at the idea of losing the first person in a long time that he trusted and desired made him sit up and clear away the last bit of sleep from his brain. Glancing over at the bedside table, he saw a folded note with his name on it. Slowly he reached out and gingerly picked up the paper between two fingers, bringing it back to him like it was a sleeping snake. He unfolded the paper and feeling his heart in his throat began to read…

“ _ Love, _

_ You have no idea how much I want to wake you before I have to leave. You’re laying on your stomach right now and the sheet is so low on your back I can see the tiniest bit of ass crack from where I’m sitting right now. I don’t know if the sight is making me feel affectionate or dirty. Either way I don’t have time to continue your education on Polite and Proper Ways to Wake Up Your Lover so I’m going to leave you alone and let you keep dreaming. Hope it’s a good dream. Hope I’m in it. _

_ Anyway, I’ve got class ‘til 2. I’ll come by here so I can lead you over to my place to store your car. See you soon, hope you slept well. _

__ __ _ -Michael” _

__ Alex felt the stupid smile that was stretching his cheeks and was glad no one could see him as he put the letter to his lips and thought about how relieved he was it hadn’t been a ‘Dear John’. Looking over at the clock on the wall, he could see it was a little after 10 a.m. He grabbed his phone and opened up the camera, taking a quick selfie of him smiling with the letter in hand. He tried not to feel overly anxious about his messy bedhead or the creases still impressed on his skin from the sheets and instead hit the send button as quickly as possible in a message to Michael before tossing his phone back onto the bed beside him along with the note.

The next couple minutes were filled by Alex slowly getting dressed and grabbing his dirty clothes to dump into the washing machine he found in one of the hallway closets. He turned on his clothes and heard a chiming noise from his phone. Stomach fluttering with excitement, he went back to grab his phone and see if it was a text from Michael.

**< Kyle> Hey bro, how’d your interview go?**

Alex stamped down the disappointment that it wasn’t Michael texting him back. Michael did have a job, after all, he couldn’t drop everything just because Alex shot him a picture. Shaking his head at himself, he answered Kyle while wandering up towards the front of the house. He could run to Target while the clothes washed, come back and switch them over to the dryer and then start gathering up his belongings that had scattered around the place.

**> It went really well. I think they’ll call to offer me a job. I hope they do anyway. I like them a ton better than the security company.** **  
** **< Kyle> Awesome bro! I hope that works out. So whatcha up to today?** **  
** **> I’m about to head to Target. Michael and I are going camping.** **  
** **< Kyle> Where at?** **  
** **< Kyle> I thought you hated camping? I’m pretty sure every time our dads forced all us kids out into the wilderness you whined about it the entire time. You hated the bugs, the pit toilets, the lack of a/c and mirrors…** **  
** **> Har, har, har. Jerk.** **  
** **> Maybe orgasms will make the experience more enjoyable?** **  
** **< Kyle> It sure helped me get through my residency in North Dakota.** **  
** **> ANYWAY, I have no clue where we’re going. It’s a surprise apparently.** **  
** **< Kyle> Are you sure he’s not an ax murderer?** **  
** **> Pretty sure. I haven’t googled him yet or looked up his police records tho, so…. Maybe?** **  
** **< Kyle> You HAVEN’T?!?!? What was the point of being in military intelligence and learning all the hacking shit if you’re not going to cyber stalk dudes you’re sleeping with?!** **  
** **> Uh… because that’s an invasion of privacy and he’s given me no reason to?** **  
** **< Kyle> Isn’t that basically going to be your job tho?** **  
** **> Totally different set of morals when there’s money involved.** **  
** **< Kyle> Always is. Also, yikes, I’m not sure I like you going to work for lawyers after all.** **  
** **< Kyle> Well, if you insist on going to a secondary location with what is basically a stranger, make sure you text me a picture of him so I have something to give the cops when you go missing. Also, text me when you get there with a google maps pin or something so I know what jurisdiction to contact.** **  
** **< Kyle> And make sure you pack lube and wet wipes! Esp the wet wipes!** **  
** **> Fiiiiiine.**

**** Alex shook his head at his friend’s antics and shoved his phone into his back pocket before grabbing his keys and heading out to his car. He plugged the nearest Target into his GPS before heading out, his mind filled with mental checklists of things he might need for an overnight in the wilds of New Mexico, while he loaded his phone onto the car vent dock by his radio. Halfway there his phone chimed again, and he glanced at the screen to see that Michael had finally texted him back. He waited for a red light to read the message but got ‘lucky’ and didn’t get a change to open it until he was parked in the Target lot.

**< Michael the Hot Cowboy> OMG. You’re seriously the most gorgeous creature alive. How do you look that fucking tempting with pillow marks still in your cheek? Ugh, I’m dying.** **  
** **> LOL.** **  
** **> Does that mean I’ve earned myself a selfie from you in return? I kinda miss your face right now.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Anything for you.**

Alex waited a moment and was rewarded with a picture of Michael in a white walled office with stuffed bookshelves behind him showing complicated titles. He was also wearing glasses. Alex's heart swelled in his chest and he was pretty sure he looked like he was looking at pictures of puppies or kittens to anyone seeing him from outside. Michael just looked… so fucking soft with glasses on. And his curls were wild, haloing his head and he had a white and blue striped shirt on that looked like it used to be crisp but had been worn too much and….Alex might actually die.

**> You wear glasses?! How have I not seen these until now?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Oh, I keep some spare contacts at work. I ran out so I had to wear these bad boys today. Am I too nerdy for you now?** **  
** **> TBH, I’m roleplaying in my head right now. I hope that’s a sturdy desk you’ve got there, professor.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> LOL. UGH, you’re the only person allowed to sexualize this job. My students are generally so young when they try shit like that, it makes me throw up a little.** **  
** **> Aww, if it freaks you out, I won’t do it. ** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Does it weird you out when people call your Airman or Private or Captain or whatever as a sexual innuendo?** **  
** **> I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure of under officers trying to seduce me for a promotion, but I can see your point. I’m sorry if I made it weird.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> No problem, soldier boy. ;)** **  
** **> So anyway… I’m at Target. S’mores stuff and…. Anything else? Do I need to get like… a sleeping bag? Bug spray? Extra towel?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> I promise I’ve got it covered as far as actual camping gear goes. Just grab some food stuff. Whatever you want for breakfast, dinner, midnight snack…** **  
** **> Aren’t you my midnight snack?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> If you play your cards right I can be…**

**** Alex kept texting with Michael as he roamed the aisles of Target. He grabbed the supplies for s’mores, some eggs, bacon, cheese, bread, ground beef, burger dressings, and on a whim, hot cocoa mix. Then he wandered over to the home goods and bought himself a towel despite Michael saying it wasn’t necessary. After wandering around the store for a while longer to kill some time, Alex checked out and headed back to the house. He lugged the groceries up the stairs and put them straight into the fridge without taking them out of their bags. Then he went and switched over his laundry. Looking in the bedroom, it occurred to him that he and Michael might need to clean the house before leaving it.

**> Hey, do I need to strip the bed or anything? I’ve got some time to kill so if you need me to clean something…** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Nah. I’ve got a lady that comes in and cleans the place after guests. I’m terrible at making beds and folding towels in a “professionally pleasing manner” or some shit. She’ll pop in sometime late this afternoon after we’re headed into the sunset.** **  
** **> Okay then.** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> If you’re really bored, you can think up a good answer to a question I have for you.** **  
** **> What question?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> What’s a dirty fantasy you have?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> You don’t have to type it out here unless you want to. You can tell me later tonight. It doesn’t have to be crazy, but just something that sounds/feels super dirty to you.** **  
** **> Will you do the same?** **  
** **< Michael the Hot Cowboy> Darlin’. I have so many fantasies about you, it’s going to be hard choosing which one to tell you.**

Alex grinned and put his phone down. He tried to think about what kind of fantasies he had, if he even had any. He’d spent so long in the military living in fear of his sexuality becoming an issue with his job that he didn’t really indulge in a lot of fantasizing. In fact, he’d almost feared for awhile that he’d become asexual because of how little he thought about sex and how often masturbation or his weekend off-base trysts were solely about tension release instead of desire. This thing with Michael was like opening Pandora’s box for him. His body flooded with a kinetic energy fueled by the need to make use of this opportunity with another person. He felt like his brain was being overridden by the need to touch and be touched, to swim in sensation. The last week felt like a fantasy. He was more scared of it stopping and him having to return to the shell of a person he’d been. He knew it was stupid to feel so strongly about someone he’d just met, but it was like the universe was telling him the drink deep from the well of the intense, automatic bond they had. If he brooded on it, the idea terrified him how intense everything was.

Therefore, he cleaned and tried to let his mind drift. Were there things he wanted to try? Did he feel anything was truly dirty? He didn’t really think sex was dirty. He’d spent a lot of time reflecting on his feelings towards sex and sexuality through the years and unloading words like “dirty” from his vocabulary. He assumed that Michael really meant kinky, but it could also just mean a desire he was feeling timid about. Something that maybe he felt nervous to admit to for fear of how it would be received? He wasn’t sure, but he decided he’d cast about his mind to come up with an answer for either. Being gay was the biggest taboo in his life because of his father and his job, but he’d done a lot of work in the last couple years to dispel a lot of his negative connections with it, but that was like every other trigger he had… sometimes he didn’t know it was there until it’d already happened and he’d have to just unpack it once he was past the worst of it.

\--- 

At 2:45 p.m., Michael burst into the house with Kool-Aid Man levels of enthusiasm. The door slammed against the wall, his arms were outstretched above his head, he looked flushed with excitement. The sunlight from outside haloed his curls and the smile on his was beatific. Alex had been messing around on his laptop when Michael burst in and after his heart rate slowed down and he convinced his brain that Michael was not an insurgent threat, he tried to enjoy the look of triumph on Michael’s face.

“It’s the motherfucking weekend! Time to blow this popsicle stand and go Au Naturale until Monday!” Michael crowed, pulling his shirt off over his head and throwing it playfully to the side. His energy was contagious and Alex found himself laughing as he kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks, throwing them one at a time at where Alex sat on the couch.

“Ugh, dirty socks!” Alex exclaimed, batting them away when they got near him. Michael grinned at him and ran forward, jumping over the back of the couch and landing next to Alex who was prudently putting his laptop on the coffee table to save it from being destroyed by Michael’s antics.

“So a foot fetish is a hard limit for you?” Michael asked, hands wrapping around Alex’s bare foot so he could run his fingers lightly around its arch. Alex shrieked and tried to pull his foot back from Michael’s grip, but instead found himself pulled forward so he was laying on his back across the couch.

“I don’t want to kick you with my prosthetic, but I will, so help me! Staaahhhppp,” Alex cried, giggling helplessly and thrashing as Michael kept up his tickling fingers.

“What will you give me if I stop?” Michael asked, pausing his fingers enough to let Alex catch his breath and respond.

“Uh, is not kicking the shit out of you with hard plastic not enough of a gift? What more could you want?” Alex said through gasps. His abs were already starting to hurt from the force of his laughter.

“Mmm, let me think about it. In the meantime…,” Michael teased, bringing his hand back towards Alex’s foot like he was going to start tickling it again.

“No! No! What do you want? Anything! Whatever you want, let me know,” Alex begged, still trying to tug his foot out of Michael’s grasp.

“How about….,” Michael started, before moving Alex’s leg they were on either side of Michael’s body. He let his hand slide up Alex’s legs until they landed at his hips and then he bent over Alex’s body slowly, broadcasting his moves, before putting his face in the middle of Alex’s chest and blowing a huge raspberry.

“Oh my god,” Alex laughed when Michael looked up at him wickedly, biting at the spot he’d just used. “You are so weird. What has got you in such a good mood?”

“Can’t a guy be happy to see another guy whom he’s hoping to spend the night mostly naked with?” Michael asked, shifting upwards until he could give Alex a sweet kiss on the lips.

“I mean, he can, but I know the guy he’s hoping to be naked with and I’m not sure he’s worth this much enthusiasm,” Alex joked, feeling a little flustered at how joyous Michael seemed about spending more time with him.

“Then you don’t know him very well, because he’s pretty fucking amazing,” Michael commented back before kissing him again. This kiss took longer, felt sweeter, and made Alex a little breathless even though it was mostly just lips pressing lips.

“So I guess I better get up and get my stuff in the car then, huh?” Alex asked after they parted. Michael hummed noncommittally at him and kissed him again, this time opening his mouth and brushing his tongue gently over Alex’s bottom lip in a silent request that Alex could not see himself ever denying. They made out for a few minutes, Michael’s hands massaging Alex’s waist and not roaming elsewhere, and Alex’s hands tangled in Michael’s curls wishing he could let them move everywhere. As their kissing intensified, Alex rolled his hips up experimentally to see if Michael wanted to play. He felt Michael’s hands flex against his skin and Michael pulled back and broke their kiss.

“Later. We’ll get your stuff down to the cars so we can get to my place and get your car parked in my garage for the night,” Michael said, even as he leant forward to rake his teeth over Alex’s bottom lip one more time. He pulled back before Alex could respond and Alex felt slightly disappointed that he wasn’t going to get more from Michael after the build up from that make out session. “Don’t look so sad! I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

Alex sighed dramatically before smiling, letting Michael know he was okay. He was just getting spoiled by all the sex and physical affection and he knew it. Michael extricated himself from between Alex’s legs and then held his hands out in offering. Alex took them and let Michael pull him up to stand. Michael automatically wrapped his arms around him, holding Alex’s wrist in his hand behind his back. He kissed Alex sweetly before trailing his lips over his cheek to his jaw, his mouth stopping near his ear.

“Do you need me to get you off before we go? Want me to take care of you first?” Michael whispered, his voice low and delicious sounding. Alex shivered at the warm puff of breath against his ear and the feeling of being pressed against Michael as he questioned him. But he didn’t  _ need  _ it unless Michael kept taunting him.

“Well, I didn’t, but if you keep talking like that I will. Fuck, Michael, when you do that with your voice and you say those kind of things to me… you make me  _ need _ whatever it is you’re offering,” Alex replied, trying to calm the surge of want in his blood as Michael nosed affectionately along his neck and jaw. “Just wish you would let me take care of you, too.”

“I don’t mind waiting,” Michael responded, voice low and earnest.

“Maybe I mind you waiting. I like it better when we both get to finish,” Alex said on a breath, kind of shocked at his own daring. 

“Okay, then we’ll wait til we have enough time for both of us,” Michael agreed easily. Alex leaned back so he could urge Michael’s mouth back up to him as he slid his hands over Michael’s naked chest, letting the hair tickle between his fingers. Alex kissed him without pretense of chastity, letting his tongue and lips show exactly how close he was to  _ needing _ Michael to take care of him. He felt Michael’s hands press against his lower back, bringing their hips and groins together where a soft, insistent press forward by either would give the loveliest friction. When he pulled back, he was half-hard and struggling to remember that they weren’t going to do this right now. They were going to get his stuff and go places…do other things…and stuff. Michael looked ready to pounce, his eyes dark with lust and his fingers slipping lower on Alex’s body by slow inches.

“We better grab the bags and get going,” Alex breathed, his mouth still so close to Michael’s he could feel the mingled air between them shifting with their breaths.

“Yeah, yeah, we better. You sure you don’t need me to…,” Michael finished his question with a slow swerve of his hips against Alex’s. Alex felt and heard the small punched out sound he made and Michael’s responding echo. He was well on his way to being fully hard and he hadn’t meant to even get halfway there. He licked his lips and closed his eyes, centering his being once more against the onslaught of hormones.

“Yep,” Alex said quickly, popping the ‘p’ with his lips. He opened his eyes and pushed his hands out, taking a step back out of Michael’s arms. “We have other things to do.”

Michael quirked an eyebrow at him and grinned, his eyes looking down pointedly towards Alex’s bulge.

“We have other things to do,” Alex repeated a little more slowly, grinning back at Michael and shaking his head affectionately. “Please grab the food out of the fridge. Did you bring a cooler?”

“Nah, it’s only like fifteen minutes to my place. It’ll be fine for that short amount of time,” Michael responded, giving Alex’s crotch one more wistful look before turning and walking towards the kitchen area.

Alex kept a wry, flattered grin as he picked up his duffle and backpacks and started towards the front door. He’d already stowed his crutches in the car when he’d made his Target trip, but he made a mental note to make sure and bring them with when they changed vehicles. A few minutes after him, he saw Michael making his way down the stairs with their food bags, his shirt back on but unbuttoned and his boots and socks on his feet.

“Ready to rock and roll?” Michael asked as he passed on his way to his truck that he’d parked behind Alex’s Explorer.

“Looks like it,” Alex replied, smiling and watching Michael load the bags into the passenger foot well. He shut the passenger door when he was finished and walked over to where Alex was standing, arms folded across his chest watching.

“Want the address in case we get separated?” Michael asked, eyes bright with excitement.

“Sure, text it to me,” Alex answered, physically restraining himself from plastering his body against Michael’s and kissing him senseless.

“K. See you in a few,” Michael replied, taking his phone out of his back pocket and presumably texting Alex the address. Alex watched him climb into his truck and turn over the engine before sliding into his own and doing the same. They pulled out onto the street with Alex’s car behind Michael’s, and Michael led Alex on a fifteen minute drive to a 4 story brick building that looked like it had once been a factory, but had been converted to apartments in the last ten years or so. Alex thought he could spy an open area on the top floor towards the back of the building and he wondered if Michael’s building was fancy enough to have a rooftop pool. Resolving to ask Michael once they’d gotten on the road, Alex followed Michael’s truck into an underground parking garage. They went down a couple floors until Michael paused and backed into a space near the stairs. Alex parked across from him and shut off his car. He saw Michael climbing out of his truck and jogging over to his car, something in his hand. Curious, Alex popped open his door and waited for Michael to get over to him.

“Here, put this in your windshield. It lets the attendants know you’re a guest and that your car will be here overnight. They may not even look, but I’d rather have it there than not,” Michael explained, handing over a slip of paper with a barcode and some dates written on it. Fancy.

“Okay, let me grab my bags. Did you need to get anything from your place?” Alex asked, silently hoping Michael would say ‘yes’ so he could get a peak at the place where he lived.

“Nah, it’s all packed,” Michael said, waving a hand to beckon Alex towards the truck. Alex grabbed his duffle bag, one of the sex backpacks, and his crutches and followed Michael over to his truck. “You can throw that stuff in the back. We’ve gotta go back up and get something before heading out.”

Alex frowned in confusion as he put his bags into the truck bed and didn’t see any of Michael’s. He climbed into the cab and Michael fired up the engine and started back towards the surface of the garage. Once they were at street level, he wheeled around the block until Alex saw a gated storage facility a little ways away from the building. Michael keyed them in and started down the long rows of doors until they were in the area where only metal roofs covered cars, boats, and campers. Michael slowed to a stop and then grinned over at Alex.

“See that sweet little silver bullet?” Michael asked, pointing towards an old, but well-maintained Airstream camper set between a party barge and a covered sedan or some sort. Alex’s eyes widened as he got the picture.

“Oh my god, you have a camper?” Alex asked, looking between the Airstream and Michael’s proud, smiling face.

“Yep. I’ve had that almost as long as I’ve had this truck. For the first couple years after high school, I lived in that baby until I got enough security under my belt to get an apartment. I’ve fixed her up a little so she’s not nearly as ratty as she was when I lived in her 7 or 8 years ago. Hope it’s okay we’re not going to actually sleep in a tent, on the ground, in the cold…,” Michael said, his voice gently teasing. Alex had been staring at the trailer as Michael talked about it and when it hit him that everything Michael said was true, he turned and grabbed Michael’s face between his hands, kissing him soundly.

“You are seriously the best thing in this entire universe. I literally hate sleeping in tents, on the ground, in the cold. You are getting so much sex tonight for this,” Alex breathed, looking Michael straight in the face. Michael looked at him seriously for a moment before laughing at him and kissing him back.

“Then why did you agree to go camping with me if you hate camping?” Michael asked as Alex pulled back and stared at the Airstream again in relieved awe. Alex shrugged before speaking.

“I went camping a lot as a kid. Military brat and all. My dad liked to make my brothers, Kyle, and I do extreme survivalist training stints out in the mountains and desert. It was fucking miserable and I hated all of it. Then I was in the military in the Middle East in a tent city. That was more enjoyable because I always got fed and there were showers, but it was still being bunked with 50 other dudes at a time and all their accumulated stink. So I guess I just haven’t had a lot of good memories attached with camping. I like nature, I like hiking and swimming and such, but I’ve never really enjoyed sleeping on the ground or cooking anything besides marshmallows over an open fire. Probably why I went into cyber intelligence instead of trying for Special Tactics. But this?” Alex jerked a thumb over his shoulder and grinned. “This is the kind of camping I think I could get behind. You’ve got a bed, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. I foresee me loving this kind of camping.”

“You really are amazing, Alex. You’ve been through so much shit and you’re not nearly as neurotic as you should be,” Michael teased, smoothing a lock of hair behind Alex’s ears as he looked over at him a little dopily. Alex made a face at him and smiled.

“Maybe you just haven’t seen that side of me yet. I promise, I have a lot of hang ups,” Alex replied, feeling a little embarrassed at Michael’s compliment.

“Me too. Guess I’ll just get to see those when we get to them,” Michael said softly, before leaning in to kiss Alex’s cheek and then backing away, getting out of the truck. He walked around the front to Alex’s door and opened it, holding out his hand for Alex to take as he slid out. Alex did and then grabbed his bags from the truck bed while Michael went and unlocked the Airstream door. They passed as Michael headed back to the cab to get out the food bags.

“Go on in. It might be a little stuffy right now, but she’s fully charged and ready to roll when we are,” Michael called over his shoulder as he saw Alex hesitate near the open doorway. Alex nodded and looked at the dark interior of the trailer for a moment before taking in a deep breath and stepping up and into the interior.

For a moment he just stood there and let his eyes adjust. Slowly, he started to pick up things and then in a blink he could take in the whole place. It wasn’t large, as trailers usually aren’t, but it was homey. There was a couch and fold down table behind him at the front of the trailer. Along the sides were a kitchenette and storage cupboards, followed by a full sized bed and then the bathroom was along the rear end of the trailer. Michael shouldered his way up the stairs and grinned at Alex as he passed him to head towards the kitchenette area. The cupboards and kitchenette looked to be more modern than the rest of the interior and Alex wondered briefly if Michael would’ve redone the bathroom as well.

“So what do you think? Will you survive an overnighter in her?” Michael asked as he squatted to start putting the cold food into the mini fridge under one of the cabinets. Alex let his eyes travel around the interior again, before he started nodding his head almost to himself.

“I think I could do an overnighter in here. I mean, I guess, if I have to,” he said the last part as a joke and side eyed Michael to see his reaction. His head popped out from behind the fridge door with a smile.

“You don’t have to do anything, but your other choice is outside in a tent, on the ground, in the cold. And I’m not following you if you choose that route. Think you could sacrifice it to stay in here with me?” Michael asked, picking up on his joke.

"Oh, you’ll be staying here too?” Alex asked, his eyes widening as if he were going to share the space for the first time. “I don’t know. Will my virtue be safe?”

Michael wadded up the empty grocery sacks and stuffed them into an out-of-the way upper cabinet before coming over to Alex and slipping his bags out of his hands. He grinned at him cheekily before answering.

“Better get ready to guard against temptation, darlin’,” he said before going to stow Alex’s bags with his. Alex blushed a little despite that fact that he’d started the joke and coughed out a laugh. He set his crutches over the couch and then headed back out into the bright light of a New Mexico afternoon. Shortly thereafter, Michael joined him before climbing back into the truck and with Alex’s help, positioned it where he’d be able to easily hitch on the camper. Alex watched Michael mess with the hitch for a minute before taking out his phone and texting Kyle excitedly.

**> HE HAS A CAMPER!! WE’RE NOT SLEEPING IN A TENT!!!** **  
** **> * Picture Sent *** **  
** **< Kyle> Damn, an Airstream. Swanky. Well thank god he’s got one or I’d have to be on alert all night to rescue your ass from the great outdoors.** ****  
**> LOL. Jerk.** **  
** **< Kyle> About to start surgery. Text me when you know where you two are going. Have fun. Make good choices. Wear a condom.**

Alex rolled his eyes and grinned as he locked his screen and stuck his phone back into his pocket. Michael was standing up, finished hitching the trailer, and Alex was struck by how perfect this felt. He hoped that feeling would stay, that the euphoria between them could last, and he would do what it took to make that happened.

“Ready?” Michael asked, twirling his truck keys around his finger and looking like the sun to Alex’s eyes.

“Ready,” Alex agreed, buckling his seat belt and feeling ready for whatever the desert night would bring. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go camping and more smut ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten chapters in. The next chapter is where the conflict starts, so saveur the feels, y'all. 
> 
> Also, thanks eternally to [ StrangeRedLantern ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Strangeredlantern) for beta'ing for me. She's so amazing and her writing is amazing and generally if you haven't read her stuff, go do the thing now. Chapter ten will wait.

“So, where are we heading?” Alex asked after they’d been on the road for two hours. The sun was starting to set and even though they were staying in the camper, he wanted to get the lay of the land when there was still sun in the sky. He knew it was paranoid of him, but old habits die hard. He liked knowing all his escape routes ahead of time.

“Ever heard of Cosmic Campground?” Michael asked, glancing over at him before returning his eyes to the road. Alex searched his memory and came up with a blank. He shook his head and hummed a negative response.

“It’s in southeast New Mexico. We’ve got about another hour before we get to the regular campground. Super rustic. It’s one of the darkest places in the U.S. so the stargazing is phenomenal. I know a spot that’s pretty far in that has a little swimmin’ hole that’s not well known enough to generally have anyone camping there. I figured we’d get settled, maybe cook some dinner, and then go skinny dippin’. What do you say?” Michael looked over at Alex again and reached for his hand, grabbing it and squeezing lightly. Alex smiled and squeezed back. He imagined all the shenanigans they could get into while naked and wet together and his stomach fluttered with the possibilities. 

“Sounds perfect,” he replied and left their hands together while they continued down the long empty stretches of highway between them and their destination. After a while, Michael took his hand back as they turned onto a gravel road off of the main highway. The truck slowed to a crawl as Michael navigated them out to where the road turned into nothing more than short grass without any sagebrush in the middle of it. Alex texted Kyle their location about two seconds before he lost signal. His brain shuttered to think of how they would get in contact with anyone if they had a busted tire out in the middle of nowhere. Michael maneuvered the truck and camper until they rolled onto a flat spot at the top of a hill and parked.

“We’re here!” Michael said, excitedly. He shut off the truck's engine and climbed out, Alex quickly following him. They were definitely still in the desert. Scrub brush and some grasses poked out amongst the rock and dirt. It looked a lot like the wide empty spaces that had surrounded Roswell. Michael excitedly started pointing out points of interest, including a mesa down in the hill from them. It wasn’t very tall, but it was fairly long and it helped break up some of the monotonous landscape. “On the other side of that mesa, there’s a little overhang and the natural pool I told you about. It’s very romantic.”

“Take a lot of people there?” Alex asked, arching an eyebrow over at Michael who chuckled at him softly. He moved forward and cupped Alex’s face in his hands before kissing him softly.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever taken here. Just because I recognize that the place is romantic doesn’t mean I’ve used it to press an advantage,” Michael said, grinning and watching Alex’s face soften with his response. He kissed Alex’s forehead and then stepped back, turning towards the Airstream.

“I’ve got some wood and camp chairs that we can put out here. Then we can mess around for a bit if you want,” he said, opening the Airstream door and looking back at Alex to check in on him. Alex gave him a cheeky grin while looking him up and down suggestively.

“I mean hiking or something. But we can do that too if you want,” Michael amended with a laugh. Alex laughed too and followed him into the Airstream. They worked together for a while to set up an area for a fire and the chairs outside. By the time they’d gotten the fire good and started, the sun dipped just behind the horizon for almost full dark. Alex could already see stars winking at him as he looked towards the east.

“Oh! I forgot to mention,” Michael started as they started dinner with dessert by toasting marshmallows on old, straightened wire hangers. “They’re really strict about light pollution out here. After ten we’ll have to turn off the lights in the camper and our flashlights will have the red lens cover on them. It’s usually still pretty bright to get around when the moon is out so it’s not a big deal, but I just thought I’d mention it.”

“Okay, yeah,” Alex responded, immediately worrying about moving around in the dark with his prosthetic.

“The way over to the pool isn’t super steep and I’ve never noticed a lot of loose rock, but we can go slow and if you start feeling like you can’t navigate it, we’ll turn back or I’ll carry you or something,” Michael said, mirroring Alex’s own worried expression. Alex looked over at the mesa and considered his options. He really wanted to see this pool Michael was so excited about and hated the idea of his lost limb spoiling their evening.

“We’ll try,” he decided, trying to hide how bothered he was by his own inadequacies. 

“Want to go ahead and head that way while there is still a little light?” Michael asked, setting down his roasting rod. Alex looked at the trail and felt a little tension unknot from his stomach as he considered being able to navigate the trail while he could still see most of the dangers ahead of him. 

“Yeah, let’s go ahead and get our stuff and head that direction,” Alex agreed, giving Michael a relieved smile and standing up from his chair.

They gathered a couple towels and some water and threw it all into one of his backpacks (after dumping all the toys out onto the Airstream’s couch). He noticed Michael slipping in a few other items, but chose not to say anything. Who knew what the evening would bring? They grabbed their flashlights and Michael led the way towards where he said the pool was. He went slow and stayed within arm’s reach of Alex, presumably to catch him in case of an accident. Luckily, they made it down the slope with no problems. When Alex turned the corner, he was struck dumb by a reflection of the sky in still water. Millions of stars were already twinkling and when Alex turned to look back over his shoulder at the scrubby landscape being swallowed in shadow, it felt like he was seeing the entrance to a mirror universe. It was beautiful and Michael was right, it was very romantic.

“Oh wow,” Alex breathed, entranced with the reflective water and quiet of the night.

“Right?” Michael replied, moving over to one side of the pool where some large rocks were piled. He set down their backpack and started stripping off his clothes. Alex followed him more slowly, eyes not straying from the water and it’s utter stillness, a perfect reflection of the night sky, until Michael’s hands began unfastening his jeans. He paused to appreciate the sight of Michael more than halfway naked. He bit his lip as a small curl of want started to warm his belly at all the skin on display.

“How deep is it?” Alex asked, sitting on one of the taller rocks to start working off the legs of his jeans.

“There’s a shelf over on this side about 4 feet under the water and then I have no clue how deep it goes. Deep enough I’ve never managed to see the bottom of it. Shit, I guess I should’ve asked earlier if you’re a strong swimmer?” Michael asked, pausing in pulling off his underwear to look up at Alex in worry.

“I was on the swim team in high school. Swimming is also one of the things I did a lot in PT after my leg. There’s a pool at the community center in Roswell that I use a lot. I should be fine,” he replied, peeling off the sock and liner around his residual limb. Michael watched and waited, looking a little worried still.

“Is there something else, dear?” Alex asked a little sarcastically, feeling a little vulnerable with Michael’s close scrutiny and concerned expression. 

“We didn’t bring the crutches. I was just figuring out the logistics of getting you over to the edge so you could get into the water without you having to crawl…. Fuck, I’m a moron,” Michael swore, frown deepening. “I can run back for them?”

“It’s not that big of a deal. Basically, you’re going to piggy back me to the edge, let me down, then let me use you for balance as I lower myself onto the ground. Getting into the water from there is no big deal,” Alex said after a moment of consideration. It was a mark of trust that he could even consider letting Michael carry him. It was the sort of display of weakness that his father would have ridiculed him mercilessly for, but… Michael made him feel safe. He didn’t think Michael thought he was weak for needing the crutches- just inconvenienced- which were two distinctly different things. “That being said, if we come out here again we’re definitely bringing the crutches because once that bitch is off, I like for it to stay off for a while.”

Michael glanced guiltily at the prosthetic.

“I’m sorry I didn’t think about it,” he said, voice low and apologetic.

“Neither did I. I promise, there’s a large learning curve. Now come here and let me hop on your back,” Alex said lightly and held out his hands towards Michael. Michael smiled and came in front of him, squatting down enough that Alex could use his shoulders for leverage to stand. He wrapped his bad leg around Michael’s body and then with a deep breath hopped and wrapped the other one around him, squeezing his thighs tight to keep from sliding down Michael’s body. Michael’s hands immediately caught him under his thighs and Alex wrapped his arms around his shoulders tightly. Alex felt a dizzying sense of nostalgia for piggy back rides with his brothers when they played. The feeling went away as soon as his body picked up on exactly how naked he and Michael were. Slowly, Michael straightened and stood for a moment, just holding Alex on his back.

“I can not think of the last time I gave someone a piggyback ride. Especially someone naked,” Michael said, barking out a surprised laugh. Alex joined him for a moment before he felt Michael readjust his grip on his thighs.

“I’m not too heavy for you, am I?” Alex asked, a little nervous feeling him adjust his hold.

“No, no. You’re fine. I just wanted to make sure my grip was good. Precious cargo and all. I’m going to start walking now, okay?” Michael said over his shoulder, still smiling. Alex tightened his arms around Michael’s shoulders in response. He began walking, a little slowly, but Alex didn’t feel like he was struggling. They made it to the edge of the water and Alex slid easily off his back and balanced on his good leg as Michael started to kneel. Alex slowly lowered himself until he was low enough to support his weight with his arms and shoulders. Then he sat his body next to the water, turned quickly, and hopped in (to a surprised shout by Michael who was barely standing.)

The water was lukewarm and felt wonderful against Alex’s skin. It reminded him of the few fun camping trips Kyle’s dad had taken him on where they would visit lakes and swimming holes around the state. Alex was so distracted by his memories he didn’t immediately register Michael slipping into the water as well until he had a face full of spring water. He was on the shelf so he could easily stand and balance in order to wipe the water out of his eyes after Michael splashed him. Immediately, he felt like kicking off and swimming. The pool wasn’t huge, maybe only twenty feet by fifteen feet, but it was big enough. He swam smoothly over to the other side, closer to the inside of the mesa’s depression and treaded water for a moment. He looked at Michael who was watching him from the shelf.

“So, do you like it?” he asked, voice echoing a little when it reached Alex. He grinned hugely in response and splashed water at him. The water barely hit Michael, but his battle cry of outrage brought him closer. They played together in the water, splashing and dunking one another, until they were laughing so much they were having trouble staying above water. They drifted back over the shelf, each with a hand to the edge as they caught their breath. It was full dark then and Alex looked out to the night sky. It was amazing. There were so many stars and he could see the Milky Way clearly. There was only a sickle moon that night and it made the stars so much more impressive. He felt more than saw Michael slip behind him, his arms wrapping around his chest and chin hooking over his shoulder.

“This is amazing, Michael,” Alex whispered, somehow feeling the need to speak softly in the presence of such beauty.

“Yeah,” Michael agreed on a sigh. “I’m glad I could share it with you.”

They gazed up at the sky for a few more minutes before Alex felt Michael lift his head and kiss his neck softly. He hummed in approval and tilted his head to give Michael a blatant invitation to continue. He felt Michael turn and rub his stubbled cheek over Alex’s shoulder and neck softly before soothing the skin with his lips. The brief prickle from Michael’s stubble made gooseflesh break out over his skin, even as he craved more of it. Alex turned around in Michael’s embrace sinuously and wrapped his legs around his waist, enjoying the weightlessness of the water and the ease of his movements. His hands wrapped around Michael’s warm shoulders and he licked at the seam of Michael’s lips with the first kiss, still hungry with passion from earlier in the day at the house. It felt like the heat of the day stayed soaked in Michael’s skin and felt amazing against Alex’s body, slightly chilled from the water around them. Michael opened to him immediately and their tongues slid against each other, mapping out each other’s mouths eagerly. It felt like it’d been days, weeks, years, not hours since he’d last felt the press of Michael’s skin against his. When he broke away it was with a gasp and he immediately bent to suck Michael’s earlobe into his mouth before speaking softly.

“Now. I need you to take care of me now,” he gasped softly, pushing his hips forward to rub their cocks together under the water.

“Fuck, yes,” Michael answered, taking one of his hands from Alex’s ass where he’d been holding him steady against his body and bringing it between them. He took them both in hand, his strokes firm and desperate as the water helped soothe any excess friction. Immediately, Alex moaned. He was so keyed up, he just held on and let Michael work, his mouth open and producing one worded encouragements and guttural cries as he chased euphoria. He couldn’t help it when he came, he clutched at Michael’s back and sank his nails into the muscles, holding on for dear life as he finally went near silent with release. He released his fingers and rubbed his hands over the spots he’d made on Michael’s skin before kissing his shoulder, neck, and then mouth greedily. The water enhanced the floaty euphoria he always felt after cumming. Michael continued to stroke him as he chased his own orgasm and just when it was beginning to be too much, he felt the punched out grunt that he’d begun to associate with Michael losing himself. They kissed one final time before they each leaned slightly away to catch their breath and let the water take care of them. 

“You take such good care of me,” Alex sighed into the night air. Michael laughed silently, his chest shaking and making the water tremble around them. Alex used his stomach muscles and the legs still locked around Michael’s body to bring him back in so he could kiss him again for good measure and run his fingers through the wet curls at the back of Michael’s neck. They made out for a few more minutes, the heat between them banked for the moment, just enjoying the feel of their sated bodies and swollen lips against each other until Michael’s stomach rumbled loud enough to be felt against Alex’s. They broke apart with a laugh.

“I guess we should go back and make those burgers, huh?” Alex said, lowering his legs from Michael’s waist and standing on his own again. Michael whined a little at the loss of their close contact, but then nodded his head begrudgingly.

“Okay. I guess what I want you to do then is get out first. I’m going to lift myself out and try to get the bad leg under me in a kind of kneeling position. Then I just need your hands to steady me as I lift myself and then I guess we piggy back the same way we did over here,” Alex said after a beat of consideration.

“How about the first half of that plan is great, but instead of piggybacking again, I can just bring over the prosthesis and liner and once we get you standing, I’ll kneel and get you outfitted. That way there’s no way my hands will slip and you’ll get hurt falling on the ground. Does that sound okay?” Michael asked, hands still roaming over Alex’s skin under the water, distracting him a little from their conversation. He thought about Michael’s suggestion and ran it through his mind. He could maybe let Michael do that for him, right? He’d never really let anyone outside of his prosthetists ever handle him like that. He didn’t even let them do it very often anymore if he could help it. But, the idea made sense and Michael had never shown himself to be adverse to touching or handling Alex’s residual limb…

“Yeah, okay. Let’s do it your way and see how it goes,” Alex conceded, hopping back away from Michael’s body so he could get out of the water first.

He watched Michael move over to the edge and hop up, his arms holding his body as he swung his leg onto dry land. He climbed out and went over to the rock with their towels and Alex’s artificial leg and brought them back over with him. Quickly, Michael rubbed down his body with one towel, so absorbed in his task that he didn’t notice Alex practically leering at him as he looked him up and down in the moonlight. Alex couldn’t help but appreciate how truly gorgeous he thought Michael was.

“Okay, your turn,” Michael said as he started going to the edge. He folded his towel and put it down on the ground before getting onto his knees. He and Alex grinned at each other, both obviously thinking dirty, dirty things.

“Good thinking,” Alex commented with a nod towards the towel before hauling himself out of the water.

The plan worked about as well as it could have under the circumstances. He got more dirt on his legs than he would have wanted, but Michael wiped most of that away with the clean towel he’d brought for Alex. The liner would have to be washed either way so his biggest hope was that there wasn’t anything stuck to him that would cut his skin or bruise him in the short walk from the pool to the camper. Michael’s hands were infinitely tender as he listened to Alex’s instruction for fitting the liner and sleeve on over his limb before letting him step down onto the prosthetic until he heard the multiple clicks that let him know he was fully locked in.

“Okay,” Alex said, letting out a long exhale. “I think we’re good. Hand me the towel?”

Michael handed it up to him and watched from his knees as Alex dried off his torso and rubbed through his hair. Alex finished and looked down at him grinning.

“As much as I love having you on your knees…” Alex started, meaning it as a joke, but the way Michael kept looking with barely concealed hunger made the levity fade. He looked serious. Michael slowly raised his hands and placed them on either side of Alex’s thighs, smoothing them over the skin from knee to hip and over again. Holding eye contact he leant forward and pressed his lips to Alex’s stomach below his belly button and then turned his head, finally breaking eye contact to nuzzle into Alex’s skin. Alex wobbled a little at the weight against his midriff and felt Michael’s hands come around to rest on his lower back, holding him steady and pulling his weight forward to rebalance them. Tentatively, Alex brought his hands down to rest on Michael’s shoulders and then he started running one of his hands through Michael’s hair.

“What’s up?” Alex asked quietly, wondering what all this was about. The hunger he’d seen wasn’t sexual, and yet it was hunger… Michael shuddered lightly and Alex could see the gooseflesh break out over his shoulders. Alex kept fingers combing through Michael’s hair and waited for him to speak.

“I am so glad I met you,” Michael said quietly. His voice was so low and so muffled against Alex’s skin that he almost didn’t understand him at first. When he did, he flushed a little in pride and a little in disbelief. He roughly shoved his disbelief aside. He was allowed to have nice things.

“I’m so glad I met you,” Alex replied earnestly. He curled his body over Michael’s head, making sure not to rest on him, and wrapped his arms around Michael’s shoulders in an awkward hug.

“I’m sorry for getting so intense,” Michael whispered a moment later, his voice sounding thicker than normal. “I just… I know this is new and we don’t know each other very well… but I am so nuts about you, it’s insane.”

And isn’t that Alex felt as well? His chest tightened as he heard Michael confirm his own feelings.

“Me too, Michael. I am already so terrified of losing you, of you getting tired of me or bored of me. I want to just be wrapped in your skin all the time. I want to drown in you,” Alex said, his voice quavering as he said how he felt, pushing past the fear of such bald admissions.

“I’m scared you’ll feel all those things about me too,” Michael said, voice starting to sound a little stronger. They held each other for a moment longer before Alex slowly straightened up. His leg was starting to bark at him for putting back on the prosthetic and then resting so much weight on his bad leg. Michael stood and grabbed the towel from the dirt. He glanced over at their clothes.

“Do you want to get dressed? I don’t want to get dressed. We’re like 5 minutes away from the Airstream. Let’s just grab our shoes and stuff the clothes back in the backpack,” Michael suggested, sounding very tired all of the sudden.

“Sure,” Alex agreed and walked over to start collecting things. They made their way just as slowly to the camper as they had when going to the pool, flashlights watching the path and Michael standing in front of Alex to catch him if he slipped at all. When they got back to the camper, Michael built back up the fire outside while Alex went inside and cleaned up a little. He took his leg back off and pulled on some clean boxers before starting to shuffle around the kitchen grabbing the items he’d need to make burgers. Michael’s Airstream featured a 2-burner range and Alex was bumbling around the cabinets looking for a frying pan when Michael came in from outside. He was still wearing his towel, but the fire had partially dried his hair into a chaotic halo of frizz and half formed rings.

“Burgers?” Michael asked, sliding around Alex to make his way back towards the bathroom.

“Yeah, is that okay?” Alex asked, opening the package of ground beef.

“Totally. I love burgers. Well, I mean, I love food in general, but burgers are pretty high on my list,” Michael’s voice said through the closed screen of the bathroom. Alex listened to him rustle around, heard the water in the shower stall come on, and then some more general shuffling and banging about. Alex let it fade into the background as he made the patties for the burgers, seasoning them with salt and pepper, and then throwing them in the hot pan. He cut the tomato and avocado while the meat cooked and found himself in zoning out, humming lightly as he got their dinner prepared. He was so zoned out that he didn’t hear the water shut off or notice when Michael came out of the bathroom. He noticed when arms wrapped around his waist as he was flipping the last patty.

“Smells amazing. Thank you for making dinner,” Michael said, kissing Alex’s cheek before turning back to where they’d stashed their clothes and pulling out some boxers also.

“Well, this is one of the few things I can cook so I really hope you like it,” Alex said, sliding the last patty onto the plate with the rest. “Burgers are done so when you’re ready, food’s ready.”

Alex made sure the burners were off and set the pan back away from where they’d be shuffling around fixing their food. Michael fixed himself a couple of burgers and took them out to eat by the fire. Alex followed suit and soon they were happily eating and letting the fire die out between them. When they finished, Alex took their plates in and rinsed them off in the sink, setting them aside to use again the next morning. He looked out and saw Michael dousing the fire in sand so he made his way back toward the bed. It wasn’t that late, but he had other ways they could spend the rest of the night.

When Michael returned, Alex was laying across the bed waiting for him. He spotted Alex and grinned.

“Give me a minute. It’s getting close enough to ten I’m going to turn off the generator and turn off the lights,” he said, starting to move around the camper.

Soon enough, he and Alex were in the dark. Michael reached under the bed and drew out an electric lantern. He set it on a fold up table across from the bed and turned it on low so they’d have some light. Then he stood in front of Alex and gazed down at him, licking his lips. Alex felt the flush of desire rush through him at Michael’s attention. Would he never get tired of this? Would Michael ever fail to make him feel ravenous for his touch and taste? Michael slowly slid his boxers down and let them fall to the ground at his feet before stepping out of them and crawling onto the bed. Alex watched him and when he was close enough, let him straddle his hips and capture his mouth with his. The warmth of his body was intoxicating. Alex let his hands roam over the exposed skin, relishing in the places that made Michael’s breath hitch that weren’t obviously sexual. Michael liked the insides of his elbows touched. He whimpered when Alex’s fingers stroked over his throat, and he gave Alex a filthy kiss when Alex stroked oh-so-gently near the back of his knees.

Alex was starting to feel feral with desire. He let his hands move up the back of Michael’s thighs until they rested on his ass. With a moan of appreciation, Michael pushed back into his hands without breaking their kiss. Alex let one hand drift inwards between Michael’s cheek and let his fingers search out his hole. He rubbed his fingers over the muscles and found the area to be slightly tacky and slick. He pushed a little and found that two fingers could sink in quite easily. His mind thought back in wonder at when Michael had time to do this and then landed on his shower. It had been a fairly long shower for someone who wasn’t that dirty after their evening swim in freshwater. Alex pulled back from the kiss as he slowly started fucking his fingers in and out of Michael’s prepped entrance. Michael pushed back against his hand, moaning softly as Alex repeatedly filled his hole. 

“You were fingering yourself in the shower?” Alex questioned in a breathy voice. Michael nodded, gasping against Alex’s shoulder as he shoved his fingers in deeper. Alex licked his lips and pictured it in his mind. He imagined Michael having to muffle his moans into his forearm as he reached behind himself and tried to quietly open himself up.

“Did you cum?” Alex asked, his unoccupied hand coming to grasp Michael’s cock, stroking over the skin slowly while they talked. Michael was making desperate little noises as he rocked back on Alex’s fingers. He shook his head and Alex leaned up to kiss his neck, biting softly at the skin, and thrusting his fingers in more pointedly as Michael let his body chase it’s desire.

“Why were you fingering yourself in the shower, Michael? Why not wait?” Alex asked, biting Michael’s earlobe softly between questions.

“I wanted you to fuck me,” Michael said with a peel of need in his tone. He surged up and captured Alex’s mouth in a biting, graceless kiss. When Alex could break away, he continued his interrogation, loving the needy, gasping breaths that fanned across his chest as Michael buried his head against Alex’s shoulder.

“Past tense?” he asked, feeling his own body’s answer to what Michael had said throbbing almost painfully between them.

“Present tense. Please fuck me, Alex. Please,” Michael begged, his hands fisting the sheets to either side of Alex’s head, body stilling above Alex’s as he waited for him to say ‘yes’.

“Yes,” Alex answered in a breath. Michael leaned over and grabbed the sex backpack out from under the bed and quickly tossed out a condom and tube of lube. Alex rolled on the condom as Michael opened up the lube, squirting some into Alex’s waiting palm. Alex gathered some on his fingers and when Michael positioned himself back astride him, he pushed those fingers in and spread them, twisting and trying to make sure Michael was loose and slick for him. The rest he spread over the condom before wiping his hand absentmindedly on the blanket. Michael’s hand found Alex’s cock and holding it steady, he lowered himself down until the blunt head breached him. Alex gasped at the tight grip of Michael’s body, his muscles tensing with the need to move even though he knew he’d wait for Michael to give him the word before he did. Michael was working himself down slowly with little bounces that brought more and more of Alex into him every time. Alex gripped Michael’s thighs perhaps painfully on the last bounce when he was able to rest his weight on Alex’s lap and Alex felt himself completely surrounded by Michael’s muscles.

“Fuck, Alex,” Michael breathed above him, flexing his muscles around Alex’s cock and groaning loudly at the feeling. Alex echoed him, writhing below him in need of movement.

“Please, Michael,” he said, recognizing that it was his turn to beg. He was holding onto his control by the barest thread. He wanted this to be good for Michael, so good he’d want to do it again and again and again.

Michael set a dirty, slow grind to start. His hands were restless on Alex’s chest as he teased himself with Alex’s cock, rocking his body to press on all his sweet spots. Alex responded, his hips rolling in rhythm with Michael’s. He looked between them and watched himself disappearing again and again into Michael’s body, his bottom lip trapped between his lips so he wouldn’t embarrass himself by reciting odes to the perfect feeling of being inside Michael’s body. 

“God damn, Alex,” Michael gasped as he leaned forward to deliver a filthy kiss to Alex. His hips rolled and Alex saw stars behind his eyes as he gasped involuntarily. “You feel so fuckin’ good. Fuck, I didn’t know I needed this, but fuck, I needed it. God fucking damn, darlin’.”

Alex wrapped his arms around Michael’s torso and held him tight against him as he lifted his hips and began to fuck up into Michael’s body earnestly. He heard Michael whisper a desperate “Oh shit” into his ear and then a chorus of keyed up praises to God. Alex could only fuck in that position for so long, however, before his muscles started to give out on him.

“Lay down on your stomach,” Alex said as he pulled out and relaxed back on the mattress for a minute.

Michael grabbed a pillow and placed it under his hips before laying down on it. He hugged the other one to his chest and looked over his shoulder at Alex to watch him. Alex rolled onto his knees and reapplied lube to himself. He moved Michael so that one of his knees was folded up towards his chest and then, straddling the other leg, he pushed himself back into Michael’s body. Michael keened into the pillow as his body made room again for Alex’s cock.

Alex rocked experimentally, trying different angles until Michael’s voice cried out on a particularly smooth downstroke and Alex knew he’d found his prostate. Trying to keep the angle steady, he started a sinuous, deep rhythm that made Michael writhe wildly underneath him, body rocking with him and hand clutching at his hip as if to keep him as deep as he could go. Alex's brain went to the place of instinct where his body followed the cues of his beloved beneath him and it moved how it needed to to draw out the most pleasure and keep the connection strong between them. Alex had  _ never _ felt anything like this with another person. He lowered himself onto his forearms, his body slick with sweat and sliding against Michael’s as they chased completion. He licked the skin of Michael’s shoulder, tasting the salt tang of him, and feeling the heat sear against his lips. He felt himself starting to draw up, his nerves readying themselves to release, and he reached up to thread his fingers with Michael’s where he gripped the edge of the mattress.

“I’m close, fuck. I’m so close,” he gasped wetly against Michael’s back. “Are you close?”

“Fuck, I’m almost there, Alex. Just a little harder,” Michael moaned underneath him. Alex nodded weakly and his body responded to the request, snapping his hips with more force and driving him harder into Michael’s body. Michael cried out beneath him, hand started to squeeze his as the muscles surrounding Alex started to tighten as well. Alex swore, gritting his teeth and listening to the slapping sounds of this flesh hitting together, the low growls of furious pleasure escaping between them, and then the exclamation that preceded the fall. When Michael came, he tightened around Alex so much that Alex’s vision whited out and he followed him soon after into oblivion. He bent his leg quickly to stop himself from falling as dead weight completely on top of Michael. They lay there in stasis, breathing heavily and coming down from their orgasms.

“I have had a lot of sex in my life and nothing has ever felt like that,” Michael said in a blissed out voice below him. He stretched his body, muscles tightened around where they were still connected and making Alex suck in a surprised breath at the pleasure-pain of it. Alex couldn’t stop the chuckle that came out of his hoarse throat.

“Well, I’ve had only had a little bit of sex in my life but it’s never felt like that for me either,” he finally was able to say between laughs. Michael laughed weakly beneath him and the movement made very interesting things happen where they were still connected. Reaching down to hold the condom, Alex slowly pulled out and rolled onto his side.

Michael turned also, pulling the soiled pillow out from underneath him and stripping the dirty pillowcase off before using a clean portion of it to wipe halfheartedly at his stomach. They calmed their breathing and then watched each other in the light of the lantern. Alex traced his fingertips over Michael’s cheek and stared at him in wonder. Michael smiled at him and it was a new smile for Alex to see. It was almost shy despite it’s open affection. Alex responded with his own and they laid like that until they dozed off, just tracing unknown shapes into each other’s skin and reveling in their good luck at finding one another.

\--- 

Alex was swimming through sleep towards wakefulness. He felt echoes of the earlier pleasure he’d had, the feeling of his body sliding against Michael’s in the water and later in the camper. He could feel the warm rasp of his hands on his hip urging him forward, urging him to sink into him deeper. He wanted to. Needed to feel the tight grip of Michael’s body around his own, pulling him, devouring him…

A low moan brought Alex to mostly wakefulness, only the edges of his previous sleep state still fogging his brain. The first thing he noticed is that he was rock hard. The second was that Michael was spooned against his front, ass rocking backwards against Alex’s sleepy ruts and his hand was stroking himself with intent. Alex tentatively smoothed the hand he’d had on Michael’s hip upwards to rest on his stomach. Then he shifted forward and laid his lips on Michael’s bare shoulder, his body instinctively hitching so that he could grind against Michael’s ass with more focused intent now that he was awake.

“Mmm, you’re awake,” Michael rasped out at the feeling of Alex’s lips pressing small kisses over his shoulder and neck as he rocked forward, his cock slipping against Michael’s crack. He was smearing precum in his wake and it helped smooth and guide his cock into that crevice between Michael’s cheeks. Alex hummed a response, not quite ready to start talking and truly break the last vestiges of clinging somnolence. He smoothed the hand on Michael’s stomach down and gently replaced Michael’s hand with his, stroking Michael in time with his own movements. Michael sighed and rested his hand on Alex’s forearm.

“I woke up and wanted you so bad. I could feel you behind me, pressed so close, and all I wanted was to be able to shift and press you into me. You felt so good earlier, Alex, I just wanted to feel that again. I wanted to feel you stretching me open and stuffing me full, but I didn’t know if you’d be into that, if you’d let me take what I needed from your body while you slept,” Michael whispered into the darkness of the camper, interrupted occasionally by occasional hitches of breath as Alex set his teeth to skin or moved his wrist the right way to send a extra zing of pleasure through Michael’s body. Alex listened to him and thought about what he’d said, found himself thinking how hot it would be to wake up with Michael pressing himself down over his cock in need or how he’d feel if he could do that to Michael.

He used his leg to curl behind Michael’s and encourage him to move his correspondingly. Alex let go of Michael’s cock to prod gently at his hole, trying to see if Michael could take him opening him up again and fucking him. He hadn’t been too hard on him earlier, but everyone’s body was different. Michael held his leg behind the knee and moaned at the feeling of Alex’s fingers on him, pressing firmly against where Michael wanted him but not breaching.

“Yes,you can,” Michael hissed through his teeth. “Just go slow.”

Alex nodded and turned, casting about on the bed for their discarded tube of lube. He found it behind him, almost between the bed and the wall. He popped the cab and squirted some on his fingers, rubbing at it gently with his thumb to warm it a little before going back to Michael’s body. He rubbed around the outside of the muscles, spreading some of the lube around before slowly pushing in with one of his fingers. Michael gave a small cry and Alex froze his movements.

“No, it feels good. I just need more, please,” he said, reaching back and petting Alex’s hip. Alex kissed Michael’s neck and decided to trust him at his word. He pushed further in and reveled in the silky pull of Michael’s inner walls at his finger. He decided he needed more of Michael, more access to his body. Alex removed his finger and pulled Michael’s body back against his, halfway onto his back and draped Michael’s leg over his hip. He mouthed at Michael’s chest and the nipple he could reach, maneuvering until he could press his fingers back in. He tried two fingers and found that Michael was still relaxed enough to accept them relatively easily.

“Touch yourself while I get you ready,” Alex spoke, his voice rough still from sleep, and he watched Michael’s hand grasp himself and start stroking in time with the thrust and twist of Alex’s fingers in him. Alex went back to sucking, kissing, and biting at Michael’s chest. He stopped once to add more lube and when Michael was holding himself more than stroking and a light sheen of sweat was dewing his skin, Alex decided he was ready. “Condom?”

Michael’s unoccupied hand disappeared over the side of the bed and a moment later reappeared with a foil packet in hand. Alex took it from him and quickly rolled it on and slicked himself up.

“Ready?” Alex breathed as he positioned his cock against Michael’s entrance. Michael nodded and Alex pushed forward, firmly but slowly. Michael’s body resisted for just a second before he bore down and Alex felt himself slip into the tight hold of Michael’s body. He rocked his hips gently, carving himself more space with each slow thrust, and feeling the heat in his stomach build. He saw Michael’s hand tighten around the base of his cock and felt his body respond with a surge of its own. He gripped Michael’s hip as he sank in, fingers denting the muscle with their tension. When he was as deep as he could get, he tilted his head and went searching for Michael’s mouth, ravenous for the feel of Michael’s lips and tongue against his. Without thought, he started moving his hips as they kissed, just gentle rocks forward and back.. 

“Fuck,” Michael hissed against his lips, mouth falling open as his eyes shut and he got what he’d been craving. Alex kept his movement shallow, barely withdrawing an inch or two before pressing back in, not wanting to leave the clutch of Michael’s body any longer than he had to. This wouldn’t last long for either one of them, both having been so keyed up when they started. When Alex picked up his pace, body making sharp, pointed movements into Michael that were punching out a litany of “ah”, “ah”, “ah”’s, each higher, breathier than the last against his cheek, he looked down the long line of Michael’s torso. Michael gripped himself and started stripping his cock with desperate pulls. Alex reached past his hand, past his balls, down to where he was slipping in and out of Michael’s body. He teased the rim with the tip of his finger, a deep pleasure blooming in his gut at the feeling of his own body stretching Michael’s hole and making space for himself in Michael’s body. The evidence of how much Michael enjoyed in the animalistic sounds falling from his lips, and the dark flush on his cock where he worked it over and over in time with Alex’s thrusting rhythm.

“You can start without me anytime,” Alex breathed into Michael’s ear. “I would love to wake up already thrusting inside of you, being a part of your pleasure, knowing you couldn’t wait for me to be conscious just to get at me.”

He could feel Michael nodding his head in agreement, little whines breaking past his lips as he got closer to the edge of coming.

“You could do that to me too, if you wanted. I’d love to wake up to the feeling of you filling me someday,” Alex whispered fervently, gasping as the idea really took hold and then he was pushing himself faster into Michael’s body.

“Oh fuck,” Michael whispered in response, sounding surprised before his body tensed and Alex felt his inner walls tightening around him. Alex gentled his thrusts as he kept fucking Michael through his orgasm before gripping the condom and gingerly pulling himself out. He moved to let Michael fall fully on his back before stripping the condom off and straddling him. He fisted his cock, desperate to cum. Michael caught on and started whispering encouragement, hands running up and down his thighs, until Alex felt the insistent tug behind his navel and wetness running over his fingers and spurting onto Michael’s stomach and chest. When he finished, he sat still and caught his breath. Almost dazed, he ran his fingers through their combined loads on Michael’s stomach. He felt something primal appeased at the proof of his and Michael’s pleasure getting rubbed into his skin.

“Oh, you’re one of  _ those _ guys?” Michael said with a smirk, watching his fingers rub through the mess.

“ _ Those _ guys?” Alex asked, withdrawing his hand to start looking for the washrag they’d used earlier.

“You want to mark me,” Michael explained, sitting up and reaching out to cup Alex’s cheek, forcing his attention back to Michael’s face. “You want to claim me.”

Alex felt a rush of possessive need run through him at the thought. He swallowed thickly and nodded, feeling a little embarrassed at the base nature of it. Michael was looking at him with a Cheshire smile, however, and he didn’t seem to feel like that was a bad thing.

“It’s okay,” Michael said in a soothing voice, mouth coming up to kiss at Alex’s jaw and chin. “I like that you want to keep me.”

He tilted his head down and captured Michael’s mouth at the admission, feeling so much relief that he didn’t think it was weird how much Alex wanted him. Maybe they were still in the irrational, honeymoon phase of their courtship or maybe he’d always feel this way, but every fiber of his being screamed that Michael was his and he was Michael’s. He felt Michael press the washcloth into his hand and his smile broke their kiss.

“Now clean me up,” Michael commanded, laying back down and pillowing his head in his hands. Alex chuckled and wiped the evidence off of Michael’s torso gently. When he finished, he turned and tossed the rag into the kitchenette sink. He turned back and sank down onto his forearms, body resting on top of Michael’s, as he gave Michael one more lingering kiss. It felt only a hair's breadth away from reigniting them, but before he could take it further, Alex pulled back. He had a long day of driving the next day after they returned to Albuquerque and he might need to get some actual sleep. He rolled off of Michael and laid on his back, mind already languid and starting to shut back down. He felt shifting in the bed next to him and then Michael’s head was on his chest, hand snaking over his stomach to clutch at his waist gently. Alex bent his head down and pressed a kiss against Michael’s scalp, his own hand encouraging Michael closer until he was pressed in a long line against Alex’s side.

“Sleep?” Alex asked, lazily stroking up and down Michael’s spine with his fingertips. He felt Michael nod against his chest and he closed his eyes, letting his body relax into slumber.


	11. And the record begins with a song of rebellion!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The return to Albuquerque and the return of Jesse Manes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO EXCITED WE'RE FINALLY TO THIS CHAPTER!!!! OH MY GOOOOOOOD!!! 
> 
> Thanks to my beta [StrangeRedLantern](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/strangeredlantern) for all here hard work with me and the story. She's a godsend and a truly talented writer in her own right, so go check out her stuff if you get the chance and tell her about it. 
> 
> TW/CW: Jesse Manes and all the homophobic, xenophobic bullshit you'd expect from that bag of rotten dicks.

Heading out the next day took longer than either of them expected. They both moved slower than necessary, stopping often to touch or kiss and often getting distracted by one another simply being within a two-foot radius. When they were finally able to head out, it was practically noon and both were feeling the dread of what going back would mean. Alex needed to get back to Roswell. He had bills to pay, things to look after, and appointments to keep. Michael needed to get through his own weekend task list before going back to work on Monday. Neither one of them relished the idea that they’d be parting soon and perhaps not see each other for a week or more. Alex imagined that Michael would forget about him as soon as he was out of sight, that their connection would be stretched so thin as to break with his immediate absence in Michael’s day-to-day life. He felt a desperate need to drink in as much of Michael as he could before they parted. He couldn’t even watch the scenery as they drove, just stared at Michael’s profile and tried to memorize every line and shadow of his face.

“Do you have any siblings?” Michael asked, almost out of nowhere. They’d been driving in silence for a while and Alex had been sinking himself into melancholy. He didn’t know if Michael had sensed it or if he was just tired of the silence, but Alex appreciated the break in his thoughts.

“I have three brothers. I’m not close to any of them. I’m the youngest. What about you?” Alex replied, not really knowing what to say about his family.

“I was found when I was 8 with two other kids walking along the highway. I consider them my family, though I’m closer to my sister Isobel than I am with Max. They grew up in Roswell, do you know them?” Michael asked, turning to look at Alex with interest.

“The Evans twins? Yeah, I know them. Not well, but it’s a small town. Even though I attended the base school more often than not, I had a few friends from Roswell High. Isobel was always a little…intense,” Alex said, remembering the tall blonde girl who seemed to look through everyone’s facades with ease and commanded attention. At seventeen he was deep into a rebellious stage built out of a need to distance himself from his father and the family legacy. He was also getting the shit beaten out of him weekly. His dad used his fists, Kyle used his words, and his brothers used their silent complicity. The air force had been less of a choice he’d made and more of a desperate move to save his own life. Funny how he’d still almost been killed, but Alex liked to reason it had taken the military a lot longer to try to achieve his father’s ultimate objective where he was concerned.

“She  _ is _ intense. She reads through people’s bullshit and doesn’t let them get away with anything. That being said, she can be enormously generous and kind when she’s in the mood and she’s always been good to me. She’s found me work, loaned me money, kept me fed, and generally been a great sister to me once we found each other again. She remembers you too, by the way,” Michael said, glancing over at Alex with a slightly sheepish smile.

“You mentioned me?” Alex asked in surprise.

“Yeah, I talk to her a couple times a week,” Michael explained, sounding embarrassed at the idea of being close to someone he considered family. Alex thought it was good that he had someone outside of his professional life that he felt a connection to. 

“That’s great. I’m like that with Kyle. I guess I consider him my found family. Isobel probably knows him too since he grew up attending all the Roswell public schools. His dad was also the local sheriff for most of his life. I’ll go ahead and tell you though, she may not have good things to say about Kyle. He was popular in high school, but he was also a fucking dick. He and I were friends growing up, but high school was not a high point for us. We didn’t reconnect until he was in med school and he’d grown up some so anything she says… take it with a grain of salt. People  _ do _ have the capacity for growth.” Alex knew he sounded defensive about Kyle, but he wouldn’t want someone to judge him solely based on who he was at seventeen either. He hated that there were people who would always have only that version of him to refer to in their memories and he knew Kyle felt very similarly.

“Agreed. I’ll have to meet Kyle in person to judge for myself before I bring him up to Isobel. She can bear a grudge like no one’s business,” Michael replied, smiling over at Alex and making the knot in his stomach untwist.

“I thought you graduated from Roswell?” Alex thought back to their previous conversation. He knew Michael had grown-up all over New Mexico, but hadn’t he said he graduated from Roswell?

“I wasn’t there for very long. Just the last semester before graduation and I was mostly keeping my head down. I moved up to Albuquerque pretty much immediately after graduation so besides Max and Iz, I didn’t really have any friends while I was there,” Michael explained. “There’s a small chance I’d know Kyle by sight, but I definitely didn’t know him well enough to form an opinion on him. Those 9 weeks are mostly a blur.”

“So, you really never stayed anywhere for very long?” Alex asked, trying to imagine a younger Michael getting shuffled around all over the state.

“I think I might’ve stayed with one family for about a year, but they were meth heads and ‘staying’ with them really meant hiding from them and taking care of myself. I’ve done a lot of that in my life,” Michael said, sounding a little bitter. Alex watched his face as he drove and could see the storm cloud behind his eyes. He thought he might want to steer away from that line of questioning for the time being.

“Hey, you never asked me about my dirtiest fantasy,” Alex interjected, hoping to break Michael away from his thoughts. Michael immediately grinned and gave him a mischievous glance.

“I didn’t, did I? Do you want to tell me about it now?” Michael asked, keeping his attention on the road, but giving Alex quick looks while he waited for him to answer. Alex floundered because he hadn’t really thought of anything to tell Michael, he’d just wanted to change the subject of conversation. Although now that he thought about it…

“I think you should take 159 up here,” Alex commented, almost too casually. Michael laughed and took the turn that Alex had indicated. When they were a few miles down the highway, cruising at an easy 50 mph with no other cars in sight, Alex unbuckled his seat belt and slid over the bench seat until he could turn and tuck his left knee under him, letting him face Michael as he drove. He leaned over and kissed Michael’s cheek affectionately while resting his hand on Michael’s knee.

“So, what kind of fantasy do you have for me?” Alex asked, resting his chin on Michael’s shoulder as his hand smoothed up the inside of Michael’s thigh. 

“Is this going where I think it’s going?” Michael asked, turning his head to look into Alex’s eyes with barely restrained glee. Alex smiled sweetly and kissed his nose. Even as he did so, Alex’s hand moved to cup Michael over his jeans, palm massaging gently.

“If you’ll watch the road instead of me, it is,” Alex commented, pointing towards the road ahead. Michael had drifted slightly as they talked, and he jerked the wheel in surprise when he turned and saw it. Alex snickered quietly into Michael’s shoulder as he righted the truck into the correct lane.

“You’re secretly a little evil, aren’t you?” Michael teased, shifting in his seat as Alex continued working him through his jeans. He was starting to get hard against Alex’s hand and it made Alex feel powerful to know he could do this to him.

“I wouldn’t say I’m ‘little’ anything…” Alex quipped before grabbing Michael’s right hand off the wheel and moving it to lay across the back of the bench seat so he’d have more room to maneuver. It only stayed there for a second as Michael moved it unerringly between Alex’s legs for a little tease of his own.

“I’d say not,” he responded, giving Alex’s own half chub a gentle squeeze.

“Stop that,” Alex said, grabbing Michael’s wrist and pulling his hand away. “Focus on the road. I’ll take care of everything else.”

“Yes, sir,” Michael retorted, still grinning as he resettled his hand over the top of the bench. Alex moved his hands to start undoing Michael’s belt and jeans while he planted soft, teasing kisses on Michael’s neck.

“Here’s the trade. You tell me your fantasy while I act mine out. If you stop, I stop,” Alex whispered as soon as he had enough room to pull Michael’s cock out of his pants. He wasn’t fully hard yet, but Alex didn’t doubt that would change soon.

“What if my fantasy isn’t that detailed?” Michael asked, body already pressing back into the seat and slouching in practiced ease.

“Then I guess you’re going to learn to world build on the fly,” Alex quipped before sinking his head down towards Michael’s lap. Nerves seized Alex when he got there, hung between being quick (Michael was driving after all) and going slow (because he loved how worked up Michael got when he took his time). Michael must’ve taken his pause as an urge to get talking, because with a sigh he got started.

“So you’re going to probably think this is incredibly dorky,” Michael started, pausing with a hitch in his breath as Alex decided to take his time and began by kissing a line across Michael’s stomach. He was still holding Michael loosely in his palm and he could feel the twitch in his muscle as he dipped his tongue into Michael’s belly button before daring a glance up at him. He waited for Michael to continue talking. With a slow exhale, Michael brought his hand down from the back of the seat and rested it between Alex’s shoulder blades and then he began again.

“You’re going to probably find this dorky, like I said. I, uh.. I fantasize about long Sunday mornings spent in bed, lying next to each other half asleep, feeling your arms around me snuggling close, breathing in the smell of sleep from my skin, maybe whispering half formed thoughts to each other about when to get up and make coffee and who’s turn it is to make breakfast, lazy hand jobs under the covers… things like that.”

As he spoke, Alex found himself sinking into the fantasy he described and his mouth moved down to kiss along his hardening length while he spoke. On his pause, Alex spoke up.

“Tell me more,” he asked, lips wrapping around Michael’s cock and tongue massaging the sensitive head.

“I…ah…. Want to make you dinner and see you when I get home from work. I want to make out with you during boring movies on the couch. I want to go on more stupid weekend trips like this where we just drive in any direction until we’re ready to stop and then we explore and cook and fuck and sleep wrapped around each other…”

Alex felt overwhelmed by the domestic dreams Michael was describing to him. He’d never imagined anyone would want that with him, would want someone as broken as him to stay beside them, and he felt himself getting harder the more Michael talked. Michael didn’t need any encouragement to keep talking, his hips rocking softly against the pressure of Alex’s mouth as he continued. Alex could feel the building energy in his body, loved that Michael was getting lost in describing his desires out loud to Alex, and loved the possessive hand that Michael had moved from between his shoulders to the back of his neck, not exerting any pressure but just resting against his skin and clutching at him.

“I want to do laundry with you and argue about the right way to fold towels. I want… I want… Oh,  _ oh, _ ” Michael’s voice hitched and Alex pushed down as far as he could onto Michael’s cock, beginning to swallow as soon as he felt the first pulse against his tongue, and reveling in the broken sound Michael made above him and the way his fingers clutched at the skin above his collar. He felt the truck jerk a little and reluctantly pulled away and sat back up. They were pulling over onto the shoulder and Alex barely had time to register that they were parking before Michael turned and plunged his hands in Alex’s hair, pulling him forward and devouring his mouth. He accepted it willingly, opening up for Michael and deepening the kiss. They parted slowly, both breathing heavily, and rested their foreheads together. Their hands clutched at each other and as their breathing calmed, their grip relaxed minutely. 

“I don’t think any of those things are dorky at all, Michael,” Alex finally said with a smile. He kissed Michael’s top lip gently before continuing, “I have those fantasies, too. I’ve never had any of that either and I want all of it, with you, if possible.”

“Does that mean you won’t forget me when you go back to Roswell?” Michael asked, tone playful but underpinned with obvious insecurity. Alex kissed him again, slowly and softly, before drawing back and answering.

“I don’t think I will forget you for as long as I live,” he responded, letting it hang there for a moment, letting Michael take in his words. His answering smile broke Alex’s heart open wide and he felt Michael slip in to stay.

\---

They pulled into the storage facility lot in the late afternoon. The sun was setting over the mountains and the air had the first chill of autumn to it. Alex felt the electric buzz under his skin of happiness from the past few days mixed with the melancholy of knowing he’d have to start his own long drive back to Roswell soon. He wondered if it was worth it to drive back tonight or if he should spend one more night pressed against Michael, feeling safe. The feeling of safety he’d managed to have with Michael was the most surprising thing he’d found in the last week and it’d taken him until that morning to realize what the feeling was. He’d known it so infrequently in his life that it wasn’t well known to him, but when he’d woken up feeling almost drunk on sleep, his skin sweaty and eyes begging for just a few more minutes, he realized he’d wanted to give in to it. He didn’t feel the need to get up and check all the locks or peak through the blinds to see if anyone was watching them. He’d just laid his head back down and snuggled closer to Michael’s unconscious body, feeling warm and protected.

After their twenty-minute parking stop on the side of the highway in Middle-of-Nowhere, New Mexico, Alex had stayed pressed against Michael’s side until they hit a major highway and then reluctantly, he scooted back to the passenger side of the truck to re-buckle his seatbelt. They’d listened to the radio most of the way home and made fun of each other’s musical taste. Alex wished it had been a longer drive, that they’d taken slower highways, that he could just keep this going forever. They maneuvered the Airstream back into her slot and jumped out to unhitch her from the truck.

“This was fun, Michael,” Alex said, pulling Michael against him by his belt loops after they’d emptied their things out of the Airstream and closed her up. Michael was smiling at him and Alex couldn’t help it, he leaned in and kissed him. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you so fucking much,” Michael replied after kissing him again. He’d wrapped his arms around Alex and his hands smoothed up and down his back as he did.

“Ugh, we’re so gross,” Alex commented even as he pressed himself closer, stealing small kisses from Michael’s mouth as he chuckled at him.

“Don’t you mean sickeningly sweet?” Michael asked, pulling back a little to reach for Alex’s hands.

“I think you just mean ‘sick’,” a cold, all-too-familiar voice said from behind them near the front of the truck. Michael spun around and Alex gasped as the sound of the safety being taken off a pistol clacked through the air. Jesse Manes stood by the front of Michael’s truck in civilian attire pointing what Alex knew to be his grandfather’s pistol at him and Michael. Alex was struck dumb. How the fuck did he know he was here?

“Well, Alex… I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’d fall in with the one life form in this town more disgusting than yourself. You find the one extra-terrestrial call-boy…escort…prostitute… Hell, what do you call yourself ‘Mikey’? Is there an alien title equivalent to expensive dick for hire?” Jesse sneered; attention focused on Michael. Alex looked between them, not yet comprehending all his dad was saying. He could feel himself freezing in the face of the monster from his nightmares, but he wanted to fight it. He didn’t want to just cower.

“Independent Contractor,” Michael spat out, looking Jesse up and down like he was gum under his boot.

“Right,” Jesse snorted, lip curling in disgust. “Just some friendly advice, it’s bad business to give away free samples, Mikey. You probably shouldn’t even be messing with him because I can promise you that he can’t afford as much of your time as Mama does.”

“Well, luckily this isn’t a business arrangement. Say, I know your face,  _ friend _ , but I’m afraid I’ve never had the pleasure of your name. Care to enlighten me?” Michael replied coolly. He said the word ‘friend’ like he’d say ‘cockroach’. Alex could feel the subtle notes of fear wafting off him, but he was impressed at the stern, un-intimidated face Michael presented to Alex’s dad.

“Care to tell him,  _ son _ , or should I?” Jesse asked, a malicious grin stealing over his face that made Alex’s blood run cold. He only grinned like that when he was going to enjoy destroying something. It was the grin that set off Alex’s muscles trembling more than the words. Alex felt his mind retreating into itself, the world becoming a watery blur, and he didn’t feel like he could get enough oxygen. He vaguely heard Michael shouting something near him, but he didn’t know if it was  _ at _ him or at his father. He flinched when Michael grabbed his shoulders roughly and pulled him behind his body.

“You leave him the fuck alone!” Alex registered Michael saying. He saw the snarl of fury on his dad’s face and knew he had blood in mind for Michael. He couldn’t let that happen while he stood there having a meltdown. The knowledge that someone would most likely die if he didn’t act pushed his body into action. Before another word could come out of either of their mouths Alex stepped around from behind Michael quickly and stood in front of him, hands up, staring into his father’s rigid, seething face.

“What do you want, dad?” Alex asked, surprised at how controlled his voice sounded in the wake of his quickly liquifying bowels.

“What do I  _ want _ ? I’d like a son who isn’t a monumental disappointment. Just let me have the alien, Alex. Let me get rid of him for you right now. I’ll forgive your unnatural urges and degeneracy. I’ll welcome you into the family again. If you hand him over to me, let me just walk away with him now, I’ll let you into the family legacy. You can be a real Manes Man with me and your brothers. Don’t choose the aliens over us, son. You’ll regret it. He’ll be dead and you’ll be the reason for it and then you’ll be dead, too. This is a matter of the planet’s security,” Jesse threatened.

“You’re in-fucking-sane. There are no such things as aliens! Michael might do sex work, I don’t fucking know, but aliens? Holy shit, does the military know you’re fucking nuts? It’s not just homosexuals who will be the end of the civilized world, but fucking ALIENS?!” Alex was yelling. He was hysterical.

“Haven’t told him the truth, Mikey? Been playing house for a week and haven’t even told him your big secret? Either one of your big secrets? How many more things haven’t you told him?” Jesse taunted. Alex tried to ignore what he was saying, but a niggling voice in the back of his mind wondered why he’d trusted Michael so easily. Was he projecting onto someone whose profession it was to be an attractively blank canvas? He pushed the thought away to examine later. His dad was here with a gun and nothing else mattered but surviving to get to ask all those anxiety laden queries. Alex swallowed around his fear.

“You have nothing to offer me that I want, dad. You have used “family honor” as an excuse for your prejudices and abuses of power my entire life. I did everything I could to make you happy and when that didn’t work I did everything I could just to get you to leave me alone, but I see you, dad. I see what a weak-minded man you really are. You might as well shoot me because I’m not stepping out of the way to save my own skin from you. I never have and I never will.”

“Well, you never were much of a son to begin with,” was all Jesse said before Alex saw the flash of the muzzle. He braced himself, ready for the bright sear of pain. He instinctually flinched, shut his eyes and turned, seized up his muscles like they’d protect him, but then… nothing. He took a few breaths, the feeling of air scraping through his lungs the sweetest feeling in the world. He slowly opened his eyes wondering if he’d really died that fast and would look down to see a substantial, but lifeless version of himself bleeding out into the hard-packed dirt of the storage facility. There was nothing there. He turned and saw his father floating in the air, grasping at unseen hands around his throat, choking and trying to pull air into his lungs. Then he turned and looked at Michael who was glaring at his father with a trickle of blood falling from his nose and dripping past his chin onto his t-shirt. He looked furious. Alex looked back at his father and it clicked. His father wasn’t lying about aliens. Michael was an  _ alien _ . He was also getting very close to killing his father.

“Michael, no! You can’t kill him!” Alex shouted when he found his voice. This was like something out of Star Wars. Had he lost his mind? Was he really seeing this?

“I’m not going to… he’s just going to take a little nap,” Michael replied through clenched teeth. Alex stared at him and then his father. He could see Jesse passing out mid-air, head lolling onto his shoulder. Then he dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Alex rushed over to him, dropping to his knees without thought and immediately feeling lightning lance through his incomplete leg. He’d pay for that move for days, but it was a secondary consideration as he jammed his fingers against his fathers’ neck and searched for a pulse. When he found it, he let out a breath of relief.

“I thought you didn’t like your father,” came Michael’s cold voice behind him. Alex turned and looked at him incredulously.

“I don’t. He’s a terrible person,” Alex paused, giving Michael a long look before continuing. His feelings about his father weren’t conflicted, he hated the sonuvabitch, but he’d also seen too many people die without justice (and seen some live when death wouldn’t have been good enough). “But I’m not about to presume that I have the right to determine who lives and who dies.”

“Oh, that’s right. You were in the military. You just kill on command,” Michael snapped back. Alex flinched. He deserved that, but not from Michael. Still, he didn’t have it in him to argue the point, so he just shook his head and regrouped. 

“Come on, we need to get out of here before he regains consciousness,” Alex replied shortly, struggling to get to his feet after his dramatic fall to his knees. His right leg was screaming at him and he was fairly sure he was bleeding somewhere. He felt Michael’s hands grip his elbow and he looked up sharply.

“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for,” Michael apologized. They stared at each other for a long moment before Alex nodded in acceptance and let Michael help him to stand. Alex tried to put weight on his prosthetic and hissed, immediately shifting off it.

“Let’s get you to the truck. We can go to my apartment. Obviously, it’s not perfect, but it’s better than staying here,” Michael offered, wrapping Alex’s arm around his shoulders. Alex glanced back down at his father, still breathing on the dirt, and back at up to Michael’s face. Alex was already connecting several things together and he didn’t like the picture it was forming.

“We can go by there, but we don’t need to stay there. Shit, we need to ditch the cars and find some place to stay that neither of us are connected to,” Alex said, his mind racing as he tried to figure out the best way to hide until he could start unraveling the mess in front of him. How had his dad found him? Found them? How much did he know about Michael… who was apparently an alien… and a sex worker… and someone Alex would die for? Alex shook himself and continued, “Do you have cash? Enough for a hotel room for a couple of days, maybe longer?”

Michael looked at him curiously but nodded. Alex mimicked him, nodding almost to himself, his eyes looking at the car and then back to his dad. He had to do something to stall his dad from headhunting them the moment he woke up.

“Okay, I’m going to write him a note and try to buy us some time,” Alex explained as Michael continued to stare at him. Michael frowned but moved Alex to the passenger side of the truck, so Alex would have something to lean on before he ducked into the Airstream, returning moments later with a notepad and pen. Alex clicked open the pen and started scribbling, narrating to Michael as he went. “I’m telling him to give me 5 days and I’ll get him the alien. I know this sounds damning, Michael, but he’s a zealot and a narcissist. He’ll give us at least 3 just to give me a chance to prove myself because he can’t imagine there’s a world where I don’t want his love and approval. There’s no way I’m turning you or myself over to him, but this will give us some time to get our shit together before we become ghosts.”

“Ghosts?” Michael asked, looking worried.

“Not as in dead. Just disappeared. I can make that happen within a couple days with luck,” Alex finished and shoved the note into Michael’s hand. “Stuff that in his pocket and then let’s go to your apartment. We’ve obviously got a lot to discuss.”

Michael looked down at the note and then into Alex’s eyes, face set in a grim, worried mask, before he nodded and followed Alex’s directions. Instead of watching him, Alex turned to the passenger seat and began to hoist himself into it, taking care to use his bad limb as little as possible. He wished they had time to dig through his duffle to get out some of his pain meds, but it would just have to wait. He didn’t want to be doped up right now anyway and Michael hopefully had some Advil or something at his apartment. The creaking shriek of the driver’s side door opening jolted Alex back into awareness. He hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes and gotten lost in himself. Michael looked over at him with a worried expression.

“Are you okay?” he asked, hand reaching out like he wanted to touch Alex, like he wanted to comfort him, but he stopped it, letting it hover between them in case Alex didn’t want him to touch him. Alex grabbed his hand, squeezing it in his own, and held it.

“No, but I will be. Let’s get going,” Alex replied, hearing the edge of strain in his voice and knowing it must be showing also because Michael watched him for another moment before slowly taking back his hand and starting the truck. The engine roared to life and Michael pulled out and towards the exit. Alex leaned his head against the window and let his eyes shut again, trying to block out the pain in his leg and the anxiety over their situation. He felt a tentative hand slide over his where he’d left it on the bench seat between them and Alex grabbed it, clinging to it in silence while they drove and wondering what the next 5 days would look like for them.

\---

Even though the drive to Michael’s apartment was short, Alex felt himself starting to drift on the way. His body always dealt with stress by making him want to sleep it off. The soft lurch of the truck pulling to a stop in Michael’s assigned parking spot in the underground garage of his building woke Alex out of his stupor. He looked over at Michael groggily, taking in his tense posture as he stared straight ahead through the windshield at the cinderblock wall in front of him. Alex unbuckled his seat belt and started to shift towards the door. The movement seemed to jar Michael back from his contemplation of the concrete.

“So I’d like to use a little bit of my abilities to help you get up to my apartment. Nothing obvious, just a little extra stability so maybe you won’t hurt as much? I can come back to get our bags after you’re comfortable. Does… Is that okay?” Michael asked, voice timid as he outlined his suggestion. He looked like a man waiting for the ax to fall on him. Inhaling a weary breath, Alex straightened up in his seat and cleared his throat.

“Yeah, that would be fine,” he responded, feeling like he sounded too formal. Michael nodded shortly and started to turn to open his door. Alex couldn’t let it stand as it was, couldn’t bear the strain between them. “Hey Michael?”

Michael paused, but didn’t turn to look at Alex. Alex sighed and slid across the seat, wincing at the twist it put on his bad leg, but persevering to make a point. He laid his hand on Michael’s shoulder and tugged gently, hoping he’d turn around to face him. When he did it was with reluctance and Alex felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. Michael’s eyes shone with unshed tears even though he’d schooled his features into a wall of unconcern. Alex thought about all that had happened, thought about what he knew about Michael, and decided to take a leap of faith in his next statement.

“I’m not mad, Michael, and I’m not scared of you. If you still want  _ me _ , despite having met the rottenest branch of my family tree, then I’d like to stay with you. If… If you don’t, then I can still help you get away and I’ll protect you to the best of my ability and keep you safe,” Alex said earnestly before falling silent. Michael was staring at him unblinking, the wall behind his eyes starting to crumble around the edges. When the tears in his eyes were finally too heavy to hold back, he looked away and roughly scrubbed at his eyes, sniffling and clearing his throat.

“Yeah… yeah, that’s fine. Let’s, uh, let’s get you upstairs. Your leg must be killing you,” he said quickly before pushing out of the truck. Alex felt a knot of pain behind his sternum and hoped he’d said the right thing. He followed Michael and slid out of the driver’s side door behind him, yelping and swearing when he inadvertently put pressure onto his hurt leg. Immediately he felt his right side buffered by an unseen force, taking the weight off his leg enough for him to move without any fresher pain. Alex breathed heavily as the pain receded and then looked over at Michael who was watching him stoically. He nodded at Alex once and then started to grab some of their things out of the truck bed. Tentatively, Alex took a step forward onto his right leg and found that with Michael’s help he could balance and keep whatever he had injured from being impacted. He still limped when he walked, but at least with Michael’s help he could do that. He reached into the back of the truck and grabbed his crutches, using them to move helped but Michael’s power helped even more to keep from pulling on the injured skin and muscle.

Michael led the way to a service elevator at the end of their parking row. He waited patiently for Alex by the doors. Alex made his way in and leaned heavily against the side of the elevator box as Michael set down their bags and hit the button for his floor. Alex watched him and felt his mood sinking. It was like he could see Michael putting more and more distance between them and all he wanted to do was cling to him to keep him near. Alex pushed off the wall and closed the distance between them. He laid his head on Michael’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around him from the side, Michael’s arm pressed against Alex’s stomach as he pressed in tightly. At first it felt like he was hugging a pillar, Michael’s body stayed rigid and shut off to him. He pressed in tighter, refusing to let go, refusing by being just as obdurate as Michael. He stayed still for a moment longer before pressing his lips against Michael’s clothed shoulder. He was sure Michael was about to shrug him off, about to reject him, so he let his arms start to fall away. In a quick move, Michael turned and pressed himself into Alex in return, his arms wrapping around him and crushing their chests against one another. He buried his head against Alex’s shoulder, his curls tickling Alex’s cheek as he felt his chest expand and hold. Alex did the same, drinking in the smell of Michael and the feel of his arms clinging to Alex’s back. He felt safe despite that he knew in no uncertain terms that with his father free, they absolutely were not.

“Come on, I’m just down the hall,” Michael said as the door’s dinged open, releasing Alex and waving his arm for Alex to step off the elevator before him. Alex stepped off and waited, then followed Michael down the long hallway. The hallway only sported 5 doors and another, presumably nicer, elevator. The style of the hallway seemed modern to Alex (who was by no means an expert in such things). The floors were white, marbled tile with a dark grey band around the outer edges. The walls were a honey wood paneling with clear glass pendant lights hanging above neat, minimalist wood and steel tables set at regular intervals through the hallway. The doors to the apartments were all the same dark grey as the band on the floor and were flanked by vertical dark wooden rectangles which were backlit with warm toned bulbs to create an inviting elegance. Alex took in all the details as they traveled to the end of the hallway where Michael pressed in a code to unlock his door. It barely made a sound as he stepped through and held it open for Alex.

Michael’s apartment was… surprising. Alex still hadn’t wrapped his head around the fact that Michael might not just be a mild-mannered college professor, but apparently also a high-paid sex worker. Alex goggled for a moment before turning to look at Michael who was stepping aside to let the door swing closed behind him. He looked embarrassed but proud of his place. He set their bags down on a long entryway table before turning to speak.

“So… this kind of confirms the hooker thing. I definitely didn’t get all this on a professor’s paycheck, and you know I don’t have any family for it to be trust fund money, so there’s no way I’m Batman,” Michael joked, looking a little sheepish as he looked around. “Want to come sit on the couch so we can talk about it?”

“Yeah, okay. Which way?” Alex asked, shooting him a quick reassuring smile. Michael smiled back, but it seemed brittle to Alex and he hated that it wasn’t stronger.

“Follow me,” Michael said before leading Alex around a corner and into the open concept main room. He could see a couch and armchairs clustered near a fancy, modern fireplace on the far wall and assumed that was where Michael was taking him. The place was a giant rectangle. The kitchen was behind them on the right side of the entryway. There were stairs that lead up to a loft area where Alex figured Michael’s bedroom was and then in front of him was the living room/dining room/entertainment area. The walls on two sides of the apartment were floor to ceiling rectangle panels of glass that looked out onto an outdoor seating area. Michael was on the top floor and had a fairly unimpeded view of the mountains.

“Is that a pool?” Alex exclaimed, almost tripping in his astonishment. Michael had seated himself in the middle of the sofa and had to look over his shoulder to see what he was talking about. When he looked back at Alex, he grinned. 

“Uh, yeah. It’s one of those Infinity pools? I have a client in Sante Fe who bought me one a few years ago. It’s great exercise,” Michael replied, ears tinted pink as he explained. It also explained why his shoulders looked like something off a Greek statue, so Alex wasn’t complaining a bit.

“Wo-ow,” was all Alex could say before going to join Michael over by the sofa. It was one of the modern, modular sofas with a chaise lounge on one end which was where Alex deposited himself so he could bring his leg up. Alex could see the blood seeping through the denim of his jeans and cringed. Michael jumped up and leaned over to look at Alex’s leg.

“I’ll go grab my first aid kit. Do you want anything to drink?” Michael asked, eying Alex’s leg critically.

“Water. Do you happen to have any Advil or Tylenol?” Alex asked, reaching down to disengage the prosthetic.

“Yeah, yeah. Sure. Be back in a minute,” Michael replied quickly before hurrying off. Alex watched him go back towards the kitchen and groaned inwardly as soon as Michael turned the corner. This was apparently going to be awkward. Getting down to business, Alex took his pants and prosthetic off on the couch. The sleeve was torn where he’d landed on it and the edge of the prosthetic had cut into his knee. It wasn’t a bad cut, only an inch across, but his knee had swollen as a result of the impact. He was still looking at it when he heard Michael approaching. He looked up to see Michael’s arms full of things that he dumped on the side of the chaise beside Alex’s leg before sitting on top of the coffee table. Michael fished out the tiny packet of Tylenol that had probably come with the first aid kit and handed it to Alex while he unscrewed the top to a bottle of water.

“That doesn’t seem so bad,” Michael commented, handing the bottle to Alex and bending down to examine the wound.

“The cut isn’t, but I’m pretty sure my knee is about to swell up like a balloon. I’ll probably lose at least a day of mobility just icing it. A day I’m not sure we really have to waste,” Alex commented after swallowing down the pills. Michael turned his head and looked up at him.

“That sucks,” he answered succinctly. Alex nodded grimly and watched as Michael took out a wet wipe from a packet he’d brought with him and started to gently clean the wound and blood off his knee. He was gentle as he sterilized, bandaged, and wrapped it. Alex watched him, feeling oddly wrung out at the care Michael was showing him despite obviously waiting for Alex to start yelling at him. Alex took in a deep breath of air and leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. The sun had barely set over the mountains, but he felt like he’d been awake for a thousand years and he just wanted to check out for a while.

“So I guess you want to know about… stuff,” Michael started, not meeting Alex’s eyes but keeping his hands on Alex’s leg as he spoke. Alex looked at his sad expression, rimmed with that odd mixture of fear and relief you get when something you’ve been hiding has been found out, and Alex felt like he didn’t want to talk about it at all tonight. He didn’t want to hear the whole story right then.

“Are the things he said about you true? Are you a sex worker and an alien?” Alex asked, knowing that he just needed those confirmed. Even with the proof all around him and having felt Michael’s power for himself, he needed to hear him say it.

Yes,” Michael replied, pulling his hands off Alex’s legs and tensing to stand. Alex put out his hand onto Michael’s arm to stop him.

“Those aren’t deal breakers for me. Most humans suck. Have any of our interactions with one another been an act?” Alex asked, keeping his eyes on Michael’s as he spoke.

“No! No, Alex, no. Not once,” Michael said in a heartfelt rush, turning his body and grabbing Alex’s hand between his, pulling it close to his lips and kissing Alex’s knuckles gently before continuing. “You are the only person I’ve ever wanted this way and the only person I’ve tried to be my whole self with. I’ve never been a persona for you, I’ve tried to react to everything authentically. I just… I want you to know  _ me _ . Every ugly square inch of my unfinished spaces. I just… I hope you can believe me.”

Alex let that sink in before turning his hand in Michael’s and pulling him forward. Michael didn’t hesitate, only followed Alex’s guidance and climbed onto the space behind him in the chair. Alex leaned back in the cradle between Michael’s legs and wrapped his arms around him, his cheek pressing into Michael’s chest. He didn’t know if it was a smart move to believe Michael or to even indulge in the sleep his body was dragging him steadfastly towards, but he knew he needed both of them.

“I believe you. And all I want right now is a nap. I want you to hold me and keep me safe while I do it. Can we do that for a little while before any more big questions have to be answered?” Alex asked, feeling Michael’s arms wrap around his body in return. He pressed his head against Michael’s chest and listened to his heart beating as he waited for an answer. Michael bent his head and kissed Alex on the forehead, tightening his arms and pulling his knees up slightly to cage Alex’s body with his. It felt like an extra layer of protection between him and the world and Alex enjoyed the warmth of Michael’s body surrounding his.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I’ll keep you safe,” Michael mumbled softly against Alex’s hair. Alex was already slipping under when Michael pressed his lips again to his forehead, but he felt his mouth lift slightly before he was completely asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. This chapter came out of LEFT FIELD and made me completely rework the second half of the story I had originally planned out, but I think it'll be worth it in the end. Tell me what you think!


	12. Somewhere to Hide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Alex take flight from Michael's apartment for the night to regroup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you [ StrangeRedLantern](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/strangeredlantern) for beta'ing this for me last minute cause I'm a dumbass who can't keep up with time. 
> 
> Also, I'm going to try something a little different with the text message conversations on here. Lemme know how you like them. 
> 
> And, uh... things are ramping up tension wise.

Alex awoke to the feeling of cold stinging the skin near his knee. He hissed and opened his eyes just enough to look down to where Michael was settling an ice pack on his knee. He caught Alex’s movement and smiled over at him. 

“Sorry to wake you, but your knee was looking pretty angry. You can sleep for a while longer if you want. You’ve only been out for like twenty minutes or so,” Michael informed him, kneeling next to the corner of the chaise and resting his head in hand while he stared down at Alex’s still supine form. Alex considered it, getting to stay in this comfortable, warm spot with Michael puttering around him while he slept, but the events from earlier that day came back to him and he drew in a quick breath. 

“We shouldn’t. I don’t know that we’re safe here,” Alex said, raising himself onto his elbows. Michael frowned at him but stayed silent. “You should pack a bag for a couple of days and grab any cash you have available. I’m going to call us a ride cause I think we need to leave our cars behind. There might be tracking devices on them.”

“Are you sure your dad has those kinds of resources?” Michael asked, even as he began to stand up. 

“No, but in case he does I’d rather be safe than sorry. When we get to the hotel I’ll see if I can’t find out more information somehow,” Alex replied, shrugging. He had no clue how big or small his dad’s involvement with Michael and aliens, in general, could be. It couldn’t be a coincidence he’d been stationed near Roswell for the majority of his career and not have something to do with aliens since apparently, they were a real thing. He reached for his phone and began to text Kyle to see if he was available to give them a ride or order an uber for them. He didn’t want to do it from one of their phones. He knew it was just an easy extra step to track Kyle also, but every extra step was one further away from his father’s reach. 

“Okay, I’ll go start packing. Will you be okay down here?” Michael asked, already starting to move towards the staircase that led to the lofted area of his apartment. Alex smiled at him and nodded, hoping he didn’t look as tense as he felt. There was no point in worrying either of them more than necessary until they had something solid to worry about. He pressed send on his text to Kyle and listened to Michael moving around upstairs. He dropped his phone onto his chest while he waited for a response and laid back down to press the heels of his hands into his eyes, wondering how his perfect week had gotten so spectacularly ruined with just one appearance by a member of his family. He felt a vibration against his sternum and took up his phone, unlocking it to read Kyle’s response.

> **< KYLE> Jesus, have you memorized my schedule somehow? How do you ALWAYS know when I have a moment free (which I will obviously use to do you a favor)?** **  
>  ** **> It’s a gift. ** **  
>  ** **> So can you come get us?** **  
>  ** **< KYLE> Sure, but what’s up? Your car acting up?** **  
>  ** **> I’d rather explain everything in person but basically my dad showed up and I’d like to make a stab at disappearing short term. ** **  
>  ** **< KYLE> Say no fucking more. Fuck that guy. I can be there in about 30 minutes? Sound okay?** **  
>  ** **> Yeah, it’s fine. I think we’re okay for right now. ** **  
>  ** **< KYLE> Awesome. I’ll call when I’m downstairs. **

Alex smiled down at his phone and dropped it on his chest again. He’d barely gotten two breaths into his centering meditation routine when he felt another buzz from his phone. He picked it up and looked at another text from Kyle. 

> **< KYLE> I just realized that I have no clue where the fuck you are. ** **  
>  ** **< KYLE> Send me the address or I’m going to Paul Revere this town looking for your ass.**

Alex snorted at the image.

“Hey Michael, I’ve got a friend coming to pick us up. What’s your address?” Alex called out into the echoey emptiness of the loft. Michael’s head appeared at the railing and Alex lost his breath a little looking at him. Apparently, he was changing clothes while he had the chance and he was wearing jeans and nothing else. Alex was almost one hundred percent sure there was no underwear beneath that denim and the line of hair leading from his chest downwards was definitely making Alex speculate if they had to get their hands on each other before Kyle got there. 

“Alex!” Michael called sharply, jerking Alex’s eyes back up to his face and away from his denim-clad crotch. Michael was staring down at him with a fond, exasperated look that did nothing to calm Alex’s dirty thoughts. “My eyes are up here.”

“And they’re beautiful,” Alex answered promptly. “Now what was the address again?”

Michael chuckled low and rattled off the address to his building before turning and walking back out of sight. Alex took a deep breath and turned to his phone, sending Kyle the address, and then pushing himself up to look at his knee. Gingerly he peeled back the ice pack and looked at the damage. It was moderately swollen but didn’t look too bad. He felt sure tomorrow he’d be able to do at least a little walking with the prosthesis if he babied the fuck out of it. Alex glanced at his dirty jeans still crumpled on the floor. 

“Do you have any hydrogen peroxide? And a pair of sweats I can borrow?” Alex called out, thinking about how he needed to get rid of some of the blood before it stained his jeans too much. A minute later a pair of soft, black sweats landed half on his head. Alex glared up at Michael who was grinning down from him. 

“I’ll be down in a minute with the hydrogen peroxide,” he promised. He’d put on a loose, black t-shirt and Alex mourned the loss of getting to see him walking around topless. Alex started to pull on the pants, knotting the extra fabric on his right leg, and then he grabbed for the jeans on the floor. The stomping of Michael coming down the stairs with a larger duffle bag in hand and the bottle of peroxide made Alex look up from where he was inspecting the stain. 

“Here,” Michael said as he offered over the bottle of peroxide and a dark hand towel. Alex started working on the stain with the peroxide while Michael slipped onto the chaise behind him and watched. 

“Is this something they taught you in the air force?” Michael asked quietly over Alex’s shoulder. Alex tensed for a moment before answering. There was no use trying to protect his father. 

“No, sadly. I learned this way before then from my best friend Liz in junior high. Occasionally when my dad was beating the shit out of me for being queer or mouthing off or failing a test or whatever, he’d ‘forget’ that he couldn’t actually kill me and spill a little blood. I knew I’d just get another beating if he had to buy me new clothes because I bled on them so I learned how to get out all manner of stains before I entered the military. I was a real Martha Stewart in Iraq when it came to laundry.”

Alex finished rubbing out the stain, feeling heat on his neck and ears from embarrassment at the admission, and waited for Michael’s reaction. 

“I’m like that with food. I can make a mean marinara out of free ketchup packets and dollar store dried spices. I also used to be a primo dumpster diver,” Michael admitted in a wry tone. Alex turned his head to face him and found he was still at his shoulders, only inches away. “Life fucking sucks sometimes but I get having to develop certain skill sets to survive shitty situations.”

“Do you have any idea how amazing you are?” Alex said in a breath, only realizing he’d said it and not merely thought it once Michael was blushing and giving him his best ‘aw shucks’ look. 

“So when did your friend say they’d be here?” Michael asked after a moment. 

“Thirty. That was ten minutes ago though, so about fifteen or twenty now,” Alex answered after glancing at the clock on his phone. When he looked back up, Michael had moved back in close again. 

“Should we talk or…,” he started, but Alex cut him off by capturing his mouth. They had so much to talk about, so much to unpack and figure out, but he didn’t want to start digging if they were going to get interrupted. So instead Alex pressed his lips to Michael’s and kept pressing until he felt the breath leave Michael’s body as he relaxed and gave in to Alex’s silent plea for action, not talking. 

Alex let himself melt into the slide of their mouths against one another. He buried one of his hands in Michael’s curls and the other in his shirt. Smoothly, he leaned back and pulled Michael with him. Michael followed easily, maneuvering his body fluidly so he could slip his leg between Alex’s and keep most of his weight off of him. Alex had a hard time not ramping their kissing up into more, had a hard time keeping his hands above Michael’s waist and his body from arching up for more contact. Michael’s kisses had a way of electrifying him and all he wanted to do was go, go, go with him. But too soon, the familiar ringtone he’d picked for Kyle jingled from his phone, and with a sigh, he uncurled his hands from Michael’s clothes and grabbed his phone from next to him on the cushion. 

“Hey Kyle,” he greeted, a little embarrassed about how breathless he sounded. 

“Bad time? I can circle the block a few times?” Kyle teased Alex, making Alex blush as he met Michael’s eye where he was still hovering near enough to hear Kyle’s comment. Michael grinned and waggled his eyebrows at Alex making him laugh and blush harder. 

“No, no. We’ll be down in a minute. Thanks again for this, Kyle,” Alex said, almost squeaking into the phone when he felt Michael’s teeth biting gently down on the side of his neck. 

“No problem. See you two in a minute,” Kyle answered, hanging up without further ado. 

“Michael!” Alex berated in a playful tone. Michael came back and kissed him hard. Alex let him, loving the way Michael was claiming his mouth with his. When they parted, he stopped Michael before he could pull away too far. 

“Hey,” he said, stopping Michael with a finger in the collar of his shirt. “We’ll pick this back up in a little bit.”

Alex nipped at Michael’s bottom lip playfully and was rewarded with a quick, passion-fueled kiss that promised the same. Somewhat regretfully, they disentangled themselves and Michael grabbed his bag from beside the couch. 

“Shit!” Michael exclaimed halfway to the door. He turned and looked at Alex in mild panic for a moment before turning back towards the exit. 

“What?” Alex asked, concerned and confused. 

“I forgot your bag down in the truck. I’m going to have to go get it. Wanna wait here? It’ll just be a minute, I can’t believe I didn’t think about it,” Michael babbled, running his fingers through his hair and looking doubtfully between the door and Alex. 

“Babe, it’s fine. I can wait here or in the hall. Whatever you want,” Alex soothed. 

“Yeah, just… yeah. Wait in here. Literally, five minutes tops before I’m back,” Michael promised, setting his bag onto the foyer floor and exiting the apartment before Alex could say another word. Alex watched the door close behind him and shook his head in bemusement. He shot a quick text to Kyle saying it would be a few more minutes and then leaned against the hall table to wait. Quicker than seemed feasible, Michael was back keying back into the apartment with Alex’s bags quite breathless. 

“Did you run the whole way?” Alex asked, taking the backpacks and slinging them over his shoulders to help with the load of stuff. 

“I jogged. I swear I’m not this out of shape, I just… I’m nervous and we’re on a time crunch,” Michael explained, starting to shepherd Alex out the door and down to the fancier main elevator they’d passed on their way in from the garage. It had more dark stone flooring and rich wood and gold accents inside and was so well-tuned that Alex wasn’t sure they’d started or stopped until the door silently slid open. Michael led them through the lobby, waving to an honest-to-god receptionist before exiting onto the sidewalk. Alex scanned the parked cars along the curb until he found Kyle’s Jeep halfway down the block. 

“He’s down this way,” Alex said, motioning with his head for Michael to follow as he started toward Kyle’s car. About halfway there, Kyle came around the back of the car and started towards them. 

“Mi Amigo! It’s good to see you twice in a week. You’re spoiling me,” Kyle said in greeting, ignoring Alex’s crutches and wrapping him in a quick hug. When they parted he turned to Michael and held out his hand. 

“I’m Kyle Valenti. Michael, I assume?” he asked, shooting a winning smile Michael’s way. Michael smiled back and gestured down towards his hands which were both carrying duffels. “Oh shit, I’m sorry, man. Let me get one of those for you. Come on, my Jeep’s this way. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Uh, likewise. I’ve heard a lot about you and been second-hand benefiting from the gift basket you got Alex,” Michael replied, sounding a little guarded to Alex’s ears but not hostile. He handed his bag over to Kyle and continued to carry Alex’s. Alex didn’t miss the subtle possessive posturing but didn’t know if Michael was aware he was doing it or if it was just a fluke. 

“Oh jeez, yeah. Give me a theme and I’ll just run it into the ground. I bet that gift looks super weird, but seriously, I’ve known this dude since diapers. I just want him to be happy and healthy,” Kyle said over his shoulder as they continued down the street. 

“Well, then I guess we have something in common after all,” Michael joked good-naturedly. It was pretty hard not to like this version of Kyle who was a golden retriever with a Ph.D. It helped that he’d come over in basketball shorts, a loose t-shirt, and a cap. He looked like one of Michael’s students probably. When they got to the car, they loaded up the gear and Michael climbed into the backseat before Alex hopped in. He waited for Kyle to pull out onto the street and start driving before speaking. 

“Okay, so my dad threatened Michael and my life today,” he started, knowing he couldn’t reveal Michael’s secrets without his permission, but needing Kyle to get the gist of how serious the situation was. Kyle looked over at him with wide eyes. 

“No shit? Did you call the cops on him?” Kyle asked, hands gripping the wheel harder as his eyes started to dart along the street at other cars they passed suspiciously. 

“No. He’s… he’s got some information that could be life-threatening if it gets out. I can’t… I’m sorry, Kyle, I can’t say more about that part of it, but at the time, Michael and I were more worried about getting out of the situation. I plan to hide out somewhere for the night and see if I can circumvent him to resolve the matter, but as of right now he’s a threat. He… he held us at gunpoint, Kyle. He was willing to shoot me to get what he wanted today,” Alex finished, feeling surprisingly fragile at the admission. Kyle looked over at him again in shock before schooling himself to something more business-like. 

“Okay, well, shit. Okay. So where are we off to?” Kyle asked, slowing for a stoplight. 

“We need kind of an out-of-the-way hotel, I guess. Nothing too fancy, but I need wifi access,” Alex explained, looking back at Michael to see his face set in a grim mask. They shared a look, but he didn’t smile as they continued driving. 

“What about the Commodore? It’s kind of old-fashioned, but they’ve got a continental breakfast and wifi,” Kyle offered, looking back at Michael through the rearview. Michael seemed a little taken aback to have been consulted, but thought about it. 

“The Commodore would probably be fine. I know the owners and they’re generally pretty cool. They could be persuaded to keep us off the books for a generous tip,” Michael mused. Kyle nodded and began signaling to change lanes. 

The Commodore, it turned out, was a very out-of-place Victorian-style traditional bed and breakfast near the older part of downtown Albuquerque. It was painted wild, lurid colors that Alex could tell were way too much even by night. Kyle parked in front of the house and turned off the engine. 

“Let me go talk to them for a few minutes alone,” Michael said, before hopping out of the back of the Jeep and heading up the walk to the front door of the house. Alex watched him and chewed on his lip for a moment before turning to face Kyle who was watching him speculatively. 

“What?” Alex asked a little defensively.

“Nothing, I just… I’ve never seen you care this much about someone who wasn’t just a friend. It’s nice. He seems nice.” Alex scowled at Kyle who held up his hands in a way to say he’d shut up about it. They sat in silence in the car for a moment before Kyle apparently couldn’t hold it in any longer. “But seriously, your dad held you at gunpoint? Has he lost his fucking mind?”

Alex sighed and slumped down in the car seat, closing his eyes and resting his head back against the headrest. 

“I don’t know, maybe? I’m still processing it, to be honest,” Alex admitted. He felt Kyle’s warm, square hand squeeze his shoulder affectionately before the sound of a heavy door closing brought both of their eyes out towards the house. Michael was walking back to them and smiling. 

“We’re good,” he said once he was close enough he wouldn’t have to yell and he held up an actual silver key which glinted in the moonlight. 

“Awesome, need any help getting stuff inside or anything?” Kyle asked as Alex opened the passenger door and started to get out.

“Nah, we got a first-floor room and I think we can handle it, man. But thank you so much for helping us,” Michael said sincerely, holding his hand out to Kyle. Kyle took it and shook it while Alex threw on his backpacks and went to stand by Michael. 

“Alex, call me when you can. Let me know you’re okay, okay? I want a text at least once a day until all this is resolved. Hell or high water, you got it?” Kyle said seriously, fixing Alex in place with a stern look. 

“Of course. Love you, man. Thanks again,” Alex said, leaning through the window of the Jeep to hug Kyle before he left. Kyle returned it, patting him on the back, and then they parted. Alex didn’t turn to leave until Kyle had pulled away from the curb and was driving off, then he turned back to Michael and smiled. 

“Well, that was Kyle,” he said simply. Michael looked at him and smiled. 

“He may be named Kyle, but your best friend is a ‘Chad,’” Michael commented good-naturedly. 

“Shut up,” Alex laughed, bumping Michael’s shoulder with his. “Let’s get inside so I can start trying to unravel this fucking mess we’re in.”

“Just to warn you,” Michael said, stopping Alex before he could start up the walk. “We have the honeymoon suite. It’s the only one on the ground floor.”

An undignified snort burst out of Alex before he could stop it and then he was laughing. Before he knew it, he was clutching onto his crutches and practically wheezing in hilarity. He didn’t know  _ why _ exactly he found that to be so funny, but he couldn’t stop cackling and giggling at the way their day was turning out. Michael watched him for a moment in shocked amusement before starting to laugh too. 

“I’m sorry,” Alex squeaked, trying to straighten up. “I’m sorry, it’s just… it’s just…”

“Of all things?” Michael offered, letting Alex lean into him when he couldn’t quite straighten up because he was still giggling. 

“Of all fucking things! The honeymoon suite? God, god please tell me it’s ridiculous? I need it to be ridiculous,” Alex asked, tears streaming down his face as he clutched onto Michael’s shirt and looked up at him. Michael covered Alex’s hands with his own before wiping the tears off his cheeks with his thumbs and holding his head. He looked at Alex very seriously though still with a mirthful grin on his face. 

“I have no clue, but what say we go find out?” Michael asked. Alex was calming down, his breathing finally returning to normal even though as they approached the door to the house he found himself still chuckling to himself occasionally. Michael opened the door to the house and let Alex pass by him first. The foyer was grand but had been changed into something more like a regular hotel lobby with a register and computer set up on a long bar. There was a grand, maple-stained staircase that led to the upstairs room, a short hallway behind the register area that presumably led to the proprietor’s personal space, and then double doors which led to a parlor area. Michael walked past Alex into the parlor and Alex followed, trying to take in the amount of floral upholstery, overly ornate glass fixtures, and garish colors while keeping track of Michael. 

Michael opened a door in the corner of the parlor that led down a small hallway. Alex followed and found that the hallway contained a guest bathroom and then another larger, more ornate door that said “Honeymoon Suite” on a gold placard over the front of it. Michael looked over his shoulder nervously at Alex as he slid the room key into the lock and turned it. The door swung open and Michael flipped on the light switch. The room took Alex’s breath away… and not in a good way. 

The room was covered, floor and ceiling, in pink floral wallpaper. The original wood floors had heart-shaped, shag rugs covering their gleaming beauty in red and white. The chairs, side tables, and vanity were all covered in white lace doilies with patterns of hearts on them and the bed… The bed was a four-postered monstrosity of lace. The curtains, canopy, bedspread, and bed skirt were all lace. The canopy, bed skirt, and curtains were in an aggressive shade of cardinal red while the bedspread was white with a large red heart knit into its middle that spanned the width of the mattress beneath. Two teddy bears sat in the middle of the bed, propped against the pillows, wearing a wedding gown and a black tux. 

Alex covered his mouth with his hand and looked over at Michael with wide, shocked eyes. Michael looked as shocked and dumbstruck as Alex felt. He turned slowly to look at Alex. 

“I don’t know if I can have sex here,” Michael said as if it had never occurred to him that decor could kill his hard-on for Alex. Alex laughed a little and shouldered past him into the room. While atrociously decorated, it would serve their purposes. Alex peeked into the adjoining bathroom and was not even a little surprised to find a red, heart-shaped jacuzzi tub surrounded by mirrors and more floral wallpaper. Snorting to himself, he made his way over to the bed and grabbed the bears off it, throwing them towards the corner of the room before shucking down the bedspread. The sheets, while Barbie pink, were at least not satin. 

“So how bad is this thing with your dad?” Michael asked once he’d set down their bags on the top of the dressing table. Alex sighed and flopped back onto the mattress, covering his eyes with his hands as he thought about how to explain his father to Michael.

“It could be terrible. I need to start doing some digging to see if I can figure out what exactly he was talking about. That’s the first step, I guess, figure out exactly how deep in this shit we are,” Alex said, trying to wrap his brain around the enormity of it.

“How do we do that?” Michael asked, climbing onto the mattress next to Alex and laying on his side to face him. Alex turned his head and looked at Michael in silence while he thought about their options.

“I think I’m going to try the route of least resistance first. I’ll call one of my brothers and see if they can tell me anything about dad. If they’ll give up something tangible, it’ll make sorting through his history a lot quicker and speed is the key here,” Alex replied, dreading having to call one of his brothers. He thought through which one to call in his mind and immediately decided Flint was his best option since he was still stationed in New Mexico. Despite his nearness, they hadn’t talked since his accident, and even then their conversation had been short and terse. But he had always been Jesse’s biggest lapdog in the family and if anyone would know what was going on, it would probably be Flint. So Alex would call Flint and if that resulted in something then break into the military database and research whatever nuggets could be gleaned before getting kicked out of the server. If Flint for once in his life kept his mouth shut, then Alex would call Clay, but most likely just breaking into the database and starting to run a fine-tooth comb through Jesse’s profile would be faster in that case.

Alex grabbed his phone and found Flint in his contacts. He dialed and waited while the line connected. Michael laid back on the bed beside him and Alex reached over and raked his fingers softly through Michael’s curls. In response, Michael scooted until his head was pillowed on Alex’s stomach and Alex found himself methodically petting Michael while he waited for Flint to pick up.

“What do you want?” was the first thing Flint said to him when he finally deigned to pick up. Alex rolled his eyes.

“Hey bro. What’s up? How are you? How’s army life?” Alex asked with just an edge of sarcasm.

“Shut the fuck up, you didn’t call because you care. What do you want, Alex?” Flint replied scornfully.

“Fuck you, let’s just say that particular road goes both ways,” Alex started, offended that Flint was blaming their lack of relationship on  _ him _ . “I just called to let you know that Dad let me in on the Legacy. I’m going to be joining you guys in the fight against aliens.”

Alex had to work to keep the mockery out of his tone. He couldn’t believe that was telling his brother he wanted to fight aliens with him was something he’d had to ever say. He didn’t really believe in aliens… but his eyes drifted to the head on his stomach and he closed his eyes for a moment to regroup. He hadn’t believed in aliens, but he was literally sleeping with one and that was going to take some time to wrap his head around fully. He’d been doing a very good job compartmentalizing the reality of Michael’s nature while panicking about neutralizing the threat his father posed. The silence on the phone stretched out.

“Flint?” Alex said, hoping his brother hadn’t hung up on him.

“Dad did not bring you in,” Flint replied, his voice low and disbelieving.

“The fuck he didn’t. Why wouldn’t he? I’m a Manes Man after all,” Alex retorted hotly.

“You’re a Manes in name only. You don’t have the stomach for the work we do,” Flint replied. Alex felt a hot flush of anger rush through him. It was an old sword, but Flint kept it sharp. He’d always been the one to point out to Alex almost as succinctly as their father, how soft and deficient they found him to be. No matter that he completed all his physicals with flying colors, no matter that he had risen quickly within the ranks because of his mind for strategy and his work ethic, no matter that he had been a model fucking soldier throughout his entire enlistment. He was soft. Because he wanted to kiss other men and didn’t see a reason not to, he was soft. He was weak. He was defective. He was the shame of the Manes family tree, the rotted fruit on the limb, and there was no way he could earn their love or respect. Alex had spent a lot of time unpacking this fucked up perspective in bunks halfway across the globe on nights when his brain wouldn’t power down. He was well aware of their superiority games.

“I’m bringing him an alien, Flint. Do you have one? Have you ever met one? Because I have and I’m contributing more to this than the rest of you and this is Day One on the fucking job,” Alex snapped. He felt Michael flinch at his words, and he moved his hand from Michael’s curls to rub his back soothingly.

“Liar. You’re a fucking liar. Dad would never bring you into Project Shepherd even if you had a whole alien army with you. He doesn’t trust you,” Flint replied, but his tone wasn’t as sure as it had been, and Alex knew he’d cracked him.

“He doesn’t have to trust me to use me for personal gain. I thought you would’ve figured that out by now since he doesn’t like you almost as much as he doesn’t like me. You’re a fucking bootlicker. You’re lucky I’m a homosexual or you would’ve been the one getting the belt all those years. He hates ass kissers almost as much as ass eaters,” Alex taunted. He knew he was being petty, but he was tired, and Flint never failed to rile him up. Besides Alex, Flint did get his father’s ire the most. None of Jesse Manes’ boys was man enough to be his sons, but he beat whatever softness he could out of them and rebuilt the ones he could with hate, spite, and prejudice.

“Get fucked, Alex. He’ll get what he wants from you and then you’ll suddenly feel the need to return to the Rez to be with mom,” Flint said coldly. Alex felt like he’d been hit with a brick. That was the phrase Jesse used to cover the fact that he’d probably killed their mother. He’d never found any proof, but his mom had certainly not returned home to “the Rez”.

“Maybe we all would be better on the Rez, but that’s not going to be how this will play out,” Alex left it there for a beat before continuing. If Flint thought that was a threat, then so be it, but Alex meant it as a promise. Jesse’s reign of terror over their lives had to end. “Anyway, I’ve got an alien. Any clue what I should do with him?”

“Fuck…. I can’t believe you’ve got one. We’ve been searching years for another one, ever since Caulfield—” Flint broke off suddenly.

“Flint?” Alex asked into the receiver, nervous tension making him sit up onto his elbow.

“I gotta run this all by Dad before we talk about this any further. I’ll be in touch,” was all he said before Alex heard the line go dead. He cursed under his breath and put his phone onto the bedside table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, Flint, amirite? Hope you guys enjoyed this one! Kudos, Comments, and sing-alongs are welcome and encouraged! [tumblr](Http://skinsharpenedteeth.tumblr.com) me too if you want!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Comments/Kudos/High Fives keep me typing consistently. 
> 
> Please feel free to come chat at me on [ tumblr ](http://skinsharpenedteeth.tumblr.com) about anything Malex, Kybel, or just Roswell in general. You can just @me like we're old fam. I'll also post any update delays or anything on there.


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